— Watch Comfort Food with Spencer Watts 5.30pm weekdays on SBS Food from 14 August to 1 September, with episodes then available —
If you'd like an uplifting watch that has both creative comfort food and a look behind the scenes of a food show, Spencer Watts is your man. In Comfort Food with Spencer Watts, the upbeat Canadian chef heads heads to a winter cabin and shares the kind of food that makes him – and his crew – happy. And along with dishes that range from hearty classics like roast chicken to colourful fun such as funfetti doughnuts and the wonderfully named Figgy Duff pudding, there's a chance to see a little of what goes on when making a food show.
Ahead of the start of the show on SBS Food and SBS On Demand, we talked to Watts about what inspired the show, what food the crew loved most, and why comfort food has no boundaries.
You say in the series that comfort food is the “the kind of food that warms your heart and feeds the soul”. Is an element of fun part of that for you, too - there are some really fun recipes in this series, from the to the ‘asteroid chicken’ bites.
For me comfort food is cemented in fun and feel-good vibes whether making it or eating it - comfort brings joy. That smile may be the result of the smells that fill the house and bring back warm memories, or the fun of pulling melted cheese or looking at a cereal and sprinkle dusted doughnut - it’s all just… happiness on a plate.
Spencer Watts is cooking up sweet and savoury comfort food. Credit: Comfort Food with Spencer Watts / Watts Entertainment
Some of these are familiar comfort foods with your own touch, such as the roast chicken with mulled wine spices. But it looks like you invented some new favourites too – things like the stuffed masa cakes with spiced beef, or the carrot cake-inspired waffle cake. Where did those ideas come from?
For a lot of people, including myself, comfort food is steeped in nostalgia. One of my favourite things to eat with my Mom is carrot cake and one of my favourite things to make with my daughters is waffles, so putting them together just makes sense to me, and the result – at least most of the time – is delicious! Bringing ideas and memories together to make something new is always fun – and when you start with simple pleasures you can make some incredible magic.
Please explain what the excellently named ‘figgy duff pudding’ is! Is that a classic Canadian comfort food?
Figgy Duff pudding… I love the idea of embracing Canadian comfort food and sharing it with the world, and this idea was one that came to the table from my producer. And as soon as I heard it, I was like “YES”. It has history, maple syrup and its own unique cooking technique that is so fun and playful. You basically cook it in a sock – OK, a pastry bag, but almost the same thing! How Canadian is that – simple, kooky and delicious! Figgy Duff is a steamed pudding and it almost like a sweet bread. It hails from Newfoundland, which is a gorgeous rocky island on Canada’s East Coast. There is a strong British and Scottish history to the people there and Figgy Duff remains part of their food culture. My version has almonds, apricots, raisins and maple syrup whiskey glaze that I set ablaze – just for a little drama! I think that ended up being the last show we shot for Season II of Comfort Food, so a little drama was called for.
Figgy Duff pudding from Comfort Food With Spencer Watts. Credit: Comfort Food with Spencer Watts / Watts Entertainment
We’re with you when you say in the brunch episode (mmm, cinnamon sugar popovers and !) that “it’s brunch, there are no rules”. That feels like a good way to think of comfort food, really. No rules, just whatever makes you happy?
One of the charming things about comfort food is that it has no borders or boundaries. It can be feel-good food for one, for two or for many whether you eat it on the couch or at a big table. Food is my greatest love (excluding family of course) and you should enjoy it.
This series is a little unusual in that it gives us a glimpse at how a food show is made, by including some of the behind-the-scenes action. Why did you decide to do that?
Comfort Food seemed like the perfect place to share some of the BTS. It is a series that is very approachable, and we decided that we wanted to keep things as real as possible. Some food shows have full working kitchens making final plates, but on this series this is just me, a cabin, a crew and some great food. Plus – some of the things that happen on set are ridiculous and this crew loves food as much as any audience does. They eat it up!
See how filming unfolds on a food show. Credit: Comfort Food with Spencer Watts / Watts Entertainment
Which recipes got the biggest thumbs up from the crew working on the show?
I think the sweet stuff hit the mark for them the most because it was like watching a flock of seagulls at a chip truck when they were given access! Comfort Food runs the gamut when it comes to food – savoury and sweet – but some of my other series in the past had a more savoury focus. Here when the sugary treats like the confetti donuts, or the cinnamon sugar popovers or the waffle carrot cake, when they hit the table – they devoured them and left only crumbs.
What else have you been working on lately?
I just released my first cookbook Fish For You in fall of 2022 and I am working on a new cookbook, that may or may not be dialling in to comfort food! We have also just finished post-production on a brand new BBQ series called FUN’Q. It is colourful, delicious and explores everything from veg to bone-in steaks and seafood. My mouth waters every time I think of the whiskey barrel smoked salmon steaks in rosemary oil – man they were good and gorgeous too.
Final question – what’s the ‘hidden treasure recipe’ in Comfort Food, the one people might overlook but absolutely should make??
The shrimp* étouffée with Cajun shrimp cakes is such a humble dish, but the flavour is so deep and so incredible. The Louisiana darkened roux with the home-made Cajun spices – it’s a flavour you will have likely never had before. Since making it on the show I have served it to friends and family at least half a dozen times and it just blows people’s minds every time. It really does – it is a special dish. You gotta try it!
[*i.e. prawns, for us here in Australia]
Prawn étouffée with Cajun prawn cakes. Credit: Comfort Food with Spencer Watts / Watts Entertainment
