Hot stuff for cold nights

Steak & Kidney hotpot.

Serves 4-6
Time 20-40 prep 2-3hr cooking times.
I wanted something straightforward and simple for Saturday evening and stewing steak looked good in the butchers and they helpfully mixed in some fresh kidneys for me. After that the rest just picked themselves. I'm not sure whether this sort of casserole is great for winter because its' warming etc or because you want to stay in and so can keep half an eye on the dish as it bubbles in the oven.

What you need:
1 kg of stewing steak inch cubed

500 g of kidney (cleaned of the nasty bits)

2 medium leeks cleaned and sliced
2 medium carrots cubes
3 small turnips sliced
Medium onion large dice
400g tin pre-cooked black eyed peas

500g potatoes sliced thin
2-3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons dried oregano
½ litre of Stock made from veg off cuts and stock cube
Splashes of soy sauce & Worcester sauce
Salt and pepper
Flour for dusting.
150 g knobs of butter
Oil
Large casserole with lid (2 litres)
Serve with bread for the gravy and readymade horseradish sauce and or HP sauce and of course if you like pickled red cabbage.

What to do:

Pre heat oven 160 ^o C.

1. Using the casserole if it’s stove proof or large frying pan. Once you’ve prepared the veg, sweat the carrots, leeks and onions in a few spoonfuls of oil. Once they have softened remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Dredge the diced meat in seasoned flour mixing it well so it’s all coated.
3. In batches brown the meat setting aside the batches until you’ve done it all.
4. Then incorporate the veg and meat together mixing it up and adding in the drained peas.
5. Season (lots of pepper), add the oregano, bay leaves and the stock.
6. Splash all over with soy and Lea & Perrins.
7. Put the mixture if needs be in the casserole.
8. Remove any of the burnt flour etc from the pan with spare stock or water and add to the casserole.
9. Put the lid on and place in the oven. (I put a baking try under casseroles to catch the spills)
10. Let it cook for ½hour until it is bubbling hard then turn down the heat to 140 o C so it bubbles more gently.
11. Cook for another 45-1hr. While this going on slice the potatoes and turnips.
12. Remove the hotpot (and stir it up) and put the potatoes and turnip on the top either artfully or in a jumble! And cover for 30-40 minutes this is to steam them and cook them through.
13. For last half hour remove the lid dot with butter and brown and crisp the lid.

Serve with the bread and your chosen sauces or cabbage.

Promethean Mash

Food of the Gods?

Roast Fennel mash: Serves 2-3

There is a myth that this recipe was stolen from the gods* there is another story that I had some fennel nestling in the cupboard and wondered if it would go with mash. I've been experimenting with "mash mash-ups" (look at me with young people slang!)a but lately, adding things like onion and cauliflower to spuds not only to reduce the amount of carb but also mainly because they taste good. Anyway this is a nice addition to mash which goes well with pork and in this case Roast Poussin and roast veg.

What you'll need:

250 g of fennel 92 bulbs) cut in half and trimmed.

650 g of mashing potatoes

Good knob of butter

100-200 ml warmed milk (it will depend on how runny you like your mash)

Salt and pepper

Couple of tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Tin foil.

Time: 30-40 mins while other things are cooking.

What to do:

1. Put the fennel in to the foil with the oil and seasoning
2. Wrap it up and put in the oven (I put it in with the roast) 190^oC for 30-40 mins or until the fennels soft
3. Then whizz up the fennel into a paste with hand blender, you can try using a fork but it can be stringy (I suppose it depends on how "rustic" you like things.)
4. Mix the fennel into the hot mash (you know how to make mash just don't blend with a mixer it'll go all gloopy)
5. Eat but you knew that already!

*or is it something about Prometheus stealing fire from the gods in a bulb of fennel he got a nasty punishment for his pains you'll just get a nice dinner.