Cooking Time: 3-3½ hours
Oven temperature: Gas mark 3, 170°C, 325° F
Ingredients
Stew
1.3kg (3lb) oxtail pieces
30ml (2tbsp) plain flour mixed with 5ml (1tsp) English mustard powder
Salt and pepper
30ml (2tbsp) sunflower oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
600ml (1pint) stout or brown ale
300ml (½pint) water
Zest of 1 orange
2 bay leaves
2 - 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
2 medium parsnips, peeled and roughly cubed
2 sticks celery, chopped
Dumplings:
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
Salt
75g (3oz) butter, cubed
30ml (2tbsp) freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
45-60ml (3-4tbsp) cold water
Method
Mix the flour and mustard in a large bowl. Season. Toss the oxtail pieces in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the oxtail for 4-5 minutes. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Transfer to a large ovenproof casserole dish and add the remaining ingredients except the parsnips and celery. Bring to the boil, cover and transfer to a preheated oven and cook for 3-3½ hours.
Prepare the dumplings: place the flour, salt and butter in a large bowl, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips and add the herbs. Stir in enough water to form a smooth dough and shape into 8 evenly-sized dumplings. Cover and set aside.
30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the parsnips and celery. 20 minutes before the end of cooking, remove the stew from the oven, add the dumplings and return to the oven uncovered.
Serve with savoy cabbage.
Tip: Any remaining stew tastes even better the next day. Remove from the fridge and heat slowly at the same oven temperature for about 1 hour until piping hot.
Serves 4
|
Preparation time: Approximately 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 25minutes
Ingredients:
675g/1½lb Quality Standard beef mince
15ml/1tbsp oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
150ml/¼pint good red wine
2 x 400g can cherry or chopped tomatoes
30-45ml/2-3tbsp tomato purée
10ml/2tsp dried chilli flakes
15-30ml/2-3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
10ml/2tsp ground cumin
10ml/2tsp ground coriander
5ml/1tsp ground ginger
1-2 fresh bay leaves
30ml/2tbsp good quality cocoa powder
1 beef stock cube
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 x 400g cans red kidney beans, drained
Handful freshly chopped coriander
Method:
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes.
Add the mince and cook for 8-10 minutes until brown, breaking down any meaty chunks with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the red wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, chilli flakes, sweet chilli sauce, spices, bay leaves and cocoa powder. Crumble over the stock cube and season.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add the red kidney beans and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
Serves 6. |
Cooking time: Approx 1½-2 hours
Oven temperature: Gas mark 4-5, 180°C, 350°F
Ingredients:
450g Lean beef braising steak
I Tbsp Flour
2 Tbsp Oil
1 Stick Celery
1 Onion
3 cloves Garlic
2 Parsnips
2 Star anise
8 Green peppercorns (optional)
1 pt Damson or red wine
2 Tbsp Damson jam
12 - 15 Fresh damsons or 8 red plums
Method:
Toss braising steak cubes, into seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the meat and brown.
Add celery, sliced into chunks, the onion, peeled and chopped, finely chopped garlic, the parsnips, peeled and cut into long wedges, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add star anise and green peppercorns (if using).
Mix Damson or red wine and damson jam then pour over the vegetables, season, bring to the boil.
Transfer to an ovenproof casserole and cook for 1½ hours until meat is tender. 30 minutes before end of cooking time stir in stoned fresh damsons or red plums, stoned and halved.
Remove star anise before serving.
Serve with rustic brown bread to mop up the lovely juices and a bowl of seasonal vegetables.
Serves 4-6 |
