Sophie Conran’s Soups and Stews

For Elkin, for making the sun shine every day

Acknowledgements
Thank You

Of course this book was not written by me alone and in fact the bulk of the work was done by an incredible army of angels. I would like to thank them all for being so incredibly fantastic and making the writing and production of the book such a joy.

Harriet Arbuthnot for being my bright and brilliant right hand.

Helena for being wonderful and keeping my world in order.

Felix and Coco my inspiration and for all the giggling.

Lizzy Gray for all-round fabulousness, patience and thoughtfulness.

David Loftus for the stunning pictures, a joyous shoot and friendship.

Jenny Heller for believing in me, your courage and vision.

Cheryl for all your generosity and guidance.

Charlotte and Jenny for making me look so fabulous.

Grechen, Vivian and Euan at the Laquer Chest for the gorgeous props and most welcome cup of tea in town.

Julian, Jodie and Carol at Portmeirion for being wonderful and magnificent to work with.

Rosie and Fania for giving your best.

Susanna Cook for a beautiful book.

Sarah Canet for your constant brilliance.

All my magnificent family and friends for your love.

Humungous thanks to everyone for the sensational guest recipes that have been contributed.

Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Beef

Beef And Barley Soup

Hearty Beef Soup

Oxtail Soup

Brown Windsor Soup

Burgundy Beef With Wild Mushrooms

Jerusalem Artichoke And Lemon Soup

Shabu-Shabu

Pasta In Brodo

Mr Pianim’s Beef Curry

Beef, Beer And Mushroom Stew With Cheesy Dumplings

Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf En Daube

Featherblade

Bollito Misto

Crazy Homies Exterminator Chilli

Carbonnade À La Flamande

Osso Bucco And Risotto Milanese

Lamb

Welsh Cawl

Scotch Broth

Lamb And Noodles With Seven Precious Ingredients

Aubergine, Lamb And Chickpea Soup

Lancashire Hotpot

Spiced Lamb With Beans

Lamb Shanks With Caramelised Onion

Mexican Lamb

Spanish Lamb Shoulder With Tomatoes And Olives

Irish Stew

Lamb With Preserved Lemon

Pork

Pancetta And White Bean Soup

Black Bean And Pork Belly Soup

Butternut Squash And Sausage Soup

Green Pea, Foie Gras And Pancetta Cappuccino

Cabbage And Pork Pot

Pork With Asian Spices

Lentils With Italian Sausage

Boston Baked Beans With Pork Belly

Hunter’s Stew

Cassoulet

Pork And Prune Stew

Game

Pheasant Consommé With Baby Vegetables

Split Lentil Soup With Braised Hare

Highland Games

Ribollita

Venison And Root Vegetables

Venison With Port And Plums

Irish Rabbit Stew

Daube Of Venison With Quince And Chestnuts

Pheasant With Red Cabbage

Red Duck Curry

Pheasant And Sausage Stew

Chicken

My Soothing Chicken And Noodle Soup

Cream Of Chicken Soup With Tarragon

Mexican Chicken Soup Caldo De Pollo

Mum’s Chicken Soup

(Jewish Penicillin) Soothing Matzo Ball Soup

Hot And Sour Chicken And Exotic Mushroom Soup

Coq Au Vin

Chicken And Mushroom Stew

Fragrant Chicken Stew

Chicken, Chorizo And Butterbean Stew

Caribbean Coconut Curry

Lemon Chicken With Spinach

Chicken Curry For Little Chickens

Sloppy, Spicy, Red Chicken Stew

Fish

Lobster Bonne Femme

Oyster And Watercress Soup

Langoustine And Clam Burrida

Bisque

Spicy Thai Broth With Prawns And Langoustine

Vichyssoise With Oysters

Corn Chowder

Bouillabaisse With Rouille And Croutons

Goan Prawn Curry

Gambas Pil-Pil

Jambalaya

Inky Squid Stew

Creole Prawn And Chicken Gumbo

Moules Marinières

Vegetables

Leek And Potato Soup

White Bean And Butternut Squash Soup

Watercress Soup

Soupe Au Pistou

Root Soup

Borscht

Onion Soup

Cream Of Tomato Soup

Gazpacho

Nettle Soup

Aubergine Stew With Fried Halloumi And Walnuts

Butternut Squash And Goat’s Cheese Stew

Black Bean And Red Pepper Stew

Chorizo And Butter Bean Stew

Caponata

Melanzane Alla Parmigiana

Ratatouille

Imam Bayaldi With Dill Rice

Useful Extras

Making Stock

Cooking Beans And Pulses

Many Ways With Potatoes

Index

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

Beautiful Soup, so rich and green

Waiting in a hot tureen!

Who for such dainties would not stoop?

Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!

Beautiful Soup!

Who cares for fish

Game, or any other dish?

Who would not give all else for two

Pennyworth only of beautiful soup

Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland

Soups and stews are nourishing, nurturing, satisfying and comforting. From light and delicate to filling and warming, there’s a soup or stew for every mood and occasion. A steaming pot is a delight to behold and once placed in front of you, can dissolve all the worries of the world.

The story of soups and stews is as ancient as that of cooking itself and goes back to the dawn of culinary time. Throughout the centuries, and across many cultures, soups and stews have played an important part in the world’s culinary history. Over 8,000 years ago, the first primitive tribes would boil foods together to make a sort of stew, and tribes in the Amazonian jungles used turtle shells in which to cook their meat. As for written records, some of the oldest cookbooks dating back to Roman times, contain recipes for lamb and fish stews. There is even a mention of stews in the world’s most popular book of all time, the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, Esau offers a meal of lentil stew to his brother Jakob in return for his inheritance. He must have been very hungry!

There is a fine line distinguishing stew from soup. The ingredients of a stew may be chunkier than those of a soup and retain more of their individual flavours; a stew may have thicker liquid and is more likely to be eaten as a main course. While a stew can be cooked on either the hob or in the oven, soups are almost always cooked on the hob. The choice of name is largely a matter of custom; it is often possible for the same dish to be described as soup or stew—in fact the only thing a soup can be, that a stew is definitely not, is smooth. Soups and stews take a while to cook and are best simmered very slowly, so be patient. They are wonderfully humble and inexpensive to make, mostly using the cheaper cuts of meat.

These cuts are best enjoyed once they have been cooked for hours; cook them too fast and all the flavours escape, leaving the meat dry and tasteless. You must make sure the pot never boils, but ever so slightly quivers with the occasional ‘plop plop’ of rising bubbles. I like to use organic meat, and since these dishes often require the less expensive cuts, they are within the reach of the average household budget. The beautiful thing about soups and stews is that they can nearly always be stretched a little bit further, so are accommodating if an extra guest turns up out of the blue. Plus they improve with age, as the flavours mature and become more fabulous. A three-day-old stew is a rare thing (having usually been gobbled up in minutes), but a truly delicious one.

My wonderful and inspirational mother cooked many of these warming and nourishing dishes for our family from recipes she excavated from ancient crumbling manuscripts. Ever the explorer, she resurrected magnificent dishes from an era that had never heard of convenience food nor was obsessed with fads and fashions, but was bound by the seasons, accepting no less than exceptional quality. It is these amazing meals that have become the bedrock of my own culinary landscape and adventures. Within these pages you will also find recipes from some of my closest friends and family—cooks, chefs and food-writers of immense accomplishment—and I am extremely proud to be able to include them in this collection.

The recipes in this book come from around the world, with many well-known favourites, as well as other little gems that I have adapted to be easily made at home. You’ll also find some much-loved British classics—the soups and stews of my childhood, which remain my true loves. All have been tried and tested on my hungry family and friends over the years. I use weights and measurements as a guide, but each recipe is simply my own version, so feel free to adapt, add and omit ingredients at will. Some of these recipes are as ancient as the hills and have grown and changed as they have passed through the kitchens of generation after generation of loving cooks. It seems only right that they continue to stay alive.

I hope you will enjoy making these recipes yourself, the wonderful smells, the anticipation of the loveliness to come and, finally, the joy of eating them with those who you love and cherish. Good health and happy days.

BEEF SOUPS

BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP

HEARTY BEEF SOUP

OXTAIL SOUP

BROWN WINDSOR SOUP

BURGUNDY BEEF WITH MUSHROOMS

ARTICHOKE AND LEMON SOUP

SHABU-SHABU

PASTA IN BRODO

BEEF STEWS

MR PIANIM’S BEEF CURRY

BEEF, BEER AND MUSHROOM STEW WITH CHEESY DUMPLINGS

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

BOEUF EN DAUBE

Jeremy Lee’s

FEATHERBLADE

BOLLITO MISTO

Tom Conran’s

CRAZY HOMIES EXTERMINATOR CHILLI

CARBONNADE Á LA FLAMANDE

OSSO BUCCO AND RISOTTO MILANESE

Beef

BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP

I am immensely fond of barley. I find it a soothing and comforting ingredient as it has a soft nuttiness that makes this soup ideal for calming frayed nerves.

TO SERVE FOUR TO SIX

1 tbsp olive oil

100g/3¹/₂oz bacon lardons

2 braising steaks about 300g/11oz each

1 large carrot peeled and diced

4 shallots peeled and diced

1 rib of celery cleaned, trimmed and finely chopped

150ml/5fl oz red wine

8 juniper berries crushed

2 large handfuls of pearl barley

¹/₂ tbsp tomato purée

1 handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the lardons and cook until browned. Season the steaks with salt and pepper; add them to the pot and cook until browned on each side, then remove and set aside. Turn down the heat. Gently fry the vegetables with the bacon for about 5 minutes.

Return the steaks to the pot and lay them on top of the vegetables then pour over the wine. Sprinkle in the juniper berries and pearl barley, then stir in the tomato purée and cover with water. Leave to gently simmer for 2 hours, topping up with hot water if it looks like it is drying out.

Remove the steaks from the soup and stir in the parsley. Season to taste. Trim the fat from the steaks and chuck it in the bin. Slice the steaks into 1cm/¹/₂ inch strips and divide between the bowls. Ladle in the soup and serve with warm rolls and butter.

HEARTY BEEF SOUP

This is a real crowd pleaser and filling to boot. One of the most satisfying soups I know.

TO SERVE SIX

1 tbsp olive oil

100g/3¹/₂oz pancetta cut into 1cm/1/2 inch cubes

300g/11oz chuck steak cut into 1cm/1/2 inch sticks

2 tbsp plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

1 handful of dried porcini mushrooms (ceps)

soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes

1 onion peeled and chopped

2 red peppers cored, seeded and cut into 1cm/1/2 inch strips

2 ribs of celery cleaned, trimmed and chopped

3 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves ¹/₂ tsp harissa

300ml/10fl oz tomato passata

600ml/1 pint water

2 handfuls of Puy lentils sea salt

Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Drop in the pancetta and fry until it browns and the fat starts to run out. Remove from the pan and set aside. Meanwhile, dust the beef cubes with the flour and add them to the pan. Fry on all sides until browned, then remove from the pan and set aside with the pancetta.

Chop the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid as it is very flavourful, and add to the pan with the onion, red peppers and celery. Fry the vegetables gently until they are all soft—about 45 minutes. Keep an eye on them and give them a stir every now and again. Once the vegetables are really luscious, stir in the garlic, thyme and harissa and cook through for another couple of minutes.

Stir in the meat and the liquid from the mushrooms and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up anything that is stuck to the bottom of the pan into a sauce. Pour in the passata, water and lentils, stir through and season with a little salt. Bring to a gentle boil, cover with the lid and simmer for 2 hours, stirring every now and then. Add a little water if it starts to become dry.

Season to taste and serve with warm crusty rolls and plenty of butter.

OXTAIL SOUP

This hearty soup brings back lovely warm childhood memories for me. Even when served at school, it was a more than palatable dish that would make an afternoon on the achingly cold, muddy playing field, being whacked by a lacrosse stick, more bearable. This is best made the day before so that you can scoop off the surface fat.

TO SERVE FOUR TO SIX

2 whole oxtails jointed and trimmed of fat (ask your butcher to do this)

plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

4 carrots peeled and trimmed

4 baby turnips peeled and trimmed (optional)

8 shallots peeled and trimmed

1 leek cleaned and trimmed

2 ribs of celery cleaned and trimmed 100g/3¹/₂oz butter

1 bay leaf

1 small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley

¹/₂ tbsp Worcestershire sauce

¹/₂ tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp ground allspice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toss the oxtail in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the oxtail and brown on all sides. Put half of the veg and the butter into the pan with the bay leaf and parsley. Cut the rest of the veg into cubes and keep aside for later. Fill the pan with water and stir in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée and allspice. Allow to gently simmer for 2 hours.

Remove the vegetables and bay leaf from the pan and discard. Pop the reserved chopped vegetables into the pan, lightly season with salt and cook for a further 1¹/2 hours. Add more water if necessary to keep the pieces of meat covered with liquid and stir every now and then, making sure it has not burnt or stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Take the pan from the heat and remove the oxtail pieces from the soup and set aside to cool. Place the soup in the fridge until the fat on top has solidified so you can scoop it off and bin it. While still a little warm, separate the oxtail meat from the bones and wobbly bits, and discard the latter. Once the fat has been removed from the soup, whiz the soup in a blender to a purée. Return the meat to the soup and heat through. Season to taste. Serve with warm seeded rolls. It’s also great with a blob of horseradish sauce on top.

BROWN WINDSOR SOUP

This is a delicious soup dearly loved by the Victorians and Edwardians. Occasionally, cooked basmati rice is added to Classic Brown Windsor just before serving.

TO SERVE SIX

1 tbsp beef dripping or olive oil

500g/llb 2oz veal shins sliced 3mm/ 1/8 inch thick

1 pinch of ground nutmeg knob of butter

1 large carrot peeled and chopped

1 Spanish onion sliced

2 leeks, white part only chopped

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 bunch of parsley chopped

1.5 litres/2¹/₂ pints home made beef stock or consommé

1 bay leaf

¹/₂ tsp cayenne pepper

1 small glass of sherry or Madeira sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the dripping or oil in a large pan with a lid over a medium/high heat. Season the veal with a little salt, nutmeg and pepper, then fry for 3 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks and place on a plate until needed. Reduce the heat and drop the butter, carrot, onion, leeks and thyme into the pan. Gently fry the vegetables, stirring from time to time for about 10-15 minutes or until soft.

Return the meat to the pot, then stir in the parsley, the stock, the bay leaf, the cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Cover with the lid and leave to very gently bubble away for 2 hours, making sure it never boils. Remove the bay leaf and set the meat aside on a plate.

Scoop the bone marrow out of the middle of the bones and drop it into the soup (it is not necessary to add the marrow if you don’t fancy it, but it does give a wonderful richness to the soup). Allow the soup to cool before blitzing it in a food processor until smooth. Using your hands, break the meat up into small pieces, discarding the bones and any globby bits. Plop the meat into the soup, heat through and stir in the Madeira or sherry just before serving. Serve with white toast and butter.

BURGUNDY BEEF WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

This French recipe brings together some of my most treasured ingredients. Lovely, hefty red wine, gorgeous earthy wild mushrooms and good country smokey bacon. They all combine perfectly to make this superb soup.

TO SERVE SIX

3 tbsp olive oil

100g/3¹/₂oz bacon lardons cut into 1cm/1/2 inch sticks

500ml/18fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

300g/11oz shallots or pickling onions peeled

400g/14oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms

2 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped

1 handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp plain flour

400g/14oz chuck steak cut into 1cm/1/2 inch cubes

4 tbsp marc de Bourgogne or Cognac

¹/₂ bottle of red wine such as Burgundy or something hefty

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large pan and fry the bacon until it begins to crisp and brown. Pour the stock into a small saucepan and plop in the onions. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Lift the bacon out of the pan and set aside. Drain the onions, reserving the stock, and fry them with the mushrooms in the bacon fat until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and parsley and stir through, then cook for a couple of minutes, remove from the pan and set aside.

Mix the flour and meat in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and fry the meat on all sides until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the bowl. Pour the marc or Cognac into the pot and bubble, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up the flour that has cooked onto the bottom of the pan. Add a little of the wine if it boils dry. Keep stirring until all the flour has been incorporated into the liquid and you have a smooth sauce before adding any more wine.

Return the meat to the pan with the rest of the wine and the reserved stock and stir through. Leave to simmer gently for 2 hours. Stir every now and then and add a little hot water if it starts to get dry. Drop in the bacon, mushrooms and onions, heat through, and add hot water until it reaches your desired consistency. Season to taste and serve with slabs of country bread and fresh butter.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE AND LEMON SOUP

I find it quite remarkable that these nuggets of gnarly muddiness can result in something so sublime and luxurious as this beautiful dish. It’s like a sophisticated potato soup.

TO SERVE SIX

¹/₂ lemon

750g/1lb 11oz Jerusalem artichokes

3 tbsp beef dripping or 2 tbsp olive oil or butter

4 large carrots peeled and chopped

2 leeks white parts only cleaned, trimmed and chopped

1 parsnip peeled and chopped

500ml/18fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

2 handfuls of chopped fresh mint

zest of 2 lemons finely chopped salt

Fill a bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice from the lemon into it. Peel and chop the artichokes and put into the acidulated water as you prepare them—this prevents them from going brown.

Heat the dripping, oil or butter in a large pan and gently fry all the vegetables for 20 minutes, stirring every now and again.

Add the stock and 1.5 litres/2¹/₂ pints of water to the vegetables, bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 30—40 minutes or until the vegetables are easily squashed with the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and pour about 500ml/18fl oz of cold water into the pan—this cools it all down so that it is not hot when you purée it.

Whiz the mixture in a blender until smooth. Pour back into the pan reheat and stir through the mint and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt.

SHABU-SHABU

Shabu-Shabu, meaning ‘swish swish’, is a wonderfully light Japanese hotpot, a little like a fondue. You cook the sliced meat yourself at the table and enjoy the vegetables and stock afterwards. Everyone needs chopsticks or a fork, a spoon and bowl and dipping sauce.

TO SERVE FOUR TO SIX

600g/1lb 5oz beef fillet sliced as finely as possible and cut into 2cm/3/4 inch strips

1 litre/1³/₄ pints beef or chicken stock (see pages 184 and 185)

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 carrots peeled and finely sliced

10 shiitake mushrooms sliced

1 bunch of enoki mushrooms roots cut off

6 spring onions trimmed and cut in half lengthways

1 cube of firm tofu cut into four pieces (make sure that the tofu is not too fine, something more solid is best)

75g/3oz udon noodles

2 pak choi cleaned and sliced

¹/₂ Chinese cabbage cut into strips

For the dipping sauce

1 walnut-sized piece of fresh root ginger

peeled and finely chopped

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp sesame oil

Set the table first with a small paraffin stove or burner that will keep your pot bubbling, the chopsticks, bowls and some napkins. Prepare all the ingredients, arrange the beef slices on a plate, and have them waiting for the arrival of your guests. Combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a bowl and place on the table.

Once your guests are seated, pour the stock, soy sauce and 500ml/18fl oz of water into a large pot (it needs to fit safely on the paraffin stove and be big enough to take all the ingredients). Bring to the boil and then add, in this order, the carrots, mushrooms and spring onions. Then add the noodles, tofu, pak choi and lastly the cabbage.

Carry it very carefully to the table and set on the stove. Now the fun starts—each person should dip their meat into the soup until done to their taste, then dip it into the sauce and devour. Everyone helps themselves to veg, tofu and noodles and lastly the broth, which by this point is superb with wonderful flavours from both the veg and the meat.

PASTA IN BRODO

I adore this dish—it is the Italian equivalent of chicken noodle soup and soothes away life’s stresses and strains. I formed my attachment to this soup at the tender age of II, when my parents took a gastronomic tour of Italy. We whizzed around hairpin bends from Milan to Rome, eating on terraces overlooking fields of wild flowers, and in piazzas with gurgling fountains. Unfortunately, the speedy driving and rich meals took their toll. So I discovered the soothing qualities of pasta in broth and, to my poor father’s dismay, ate it for lunch and dinner for the rest of the trip, adoring every mouthful with its little parcels of loveliness.

TO SERVE FOUR TO SIX

1.5 litres/2¹/₂ pints excellent beef stock

(see page 184) made with the addition of 3 chicken drumsticks and a small piece of Parmesan rind (odd, but traditional)

250g/9oz tortellini

freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Reduce the stock by about one-third and season until it is nectar. Refrigerate the stock overnight. By the next day it will have set like jelly and the fat will have formed a crust on the top. This is beef dripping and can be used for frying, or binned if you don’t like the look of it and it makes you a bit queasy.

Ladle 1 litre/1³/₄ pints of stock into a pan and bring to the boil, taste and season with salt. Drop in the tortellini and cook for the time stated on the packet. Serve with the Parmesan sprinkled on top if you wish.

MR PIANIM’S BEEF CURRY

Curry is a big part of the British culinary psyche and I have not been immune. I love grinding my own spices—there seems to be something very satisfying on a primitive level about pounding a few sticks and seeds together to produce some wonderful aromatic flavouring.

TO SERVE FOUR

2 tbsp olive oil

600g/1lb 5oz chuck steak trimmed and cut into 3cm/11/4 inch cubes

50g/2oz butter

1 large Spanish onion peeled and sliced

1 walnut-sized piece of fresh root ginger peeled and chopped

300ml/10fl oz tomato passata

500ml-1 litre/18fl oz-1³/₄ pints beef or chicken

stock (see pages 184 and 185) or water

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the curry paste

1 medium-hot dried smoked chilli

3 cardamom pods crushed and with husks removed

1 heaped tsp coriander seeds

¹/₂ tsp each ground turmeric and cumin

1 pinch of sea salt

3 cloves of garlic peeled and roughly chopped

1 pinch of dried curry leaves a few grinds of black pepper

Grind all the ingredients for the curry paste together in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper, drop into the pan and cook until browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Reduce the heat, drop the butter into the pan and gently fry the onion and ginger together until the onion is soft. Stir in the curry paste and fry for about 10 minutes, giving it a gentle poke and stir around from time to time.

Glug in the passata and 500ml/18fl oz of stock or water. Return the meat to the pan, stir through and leave to gently simmer for 2 hours. Check that it isn’t burning or sticking from time to time and add a little more stock or water if it looks like it is drying out.

I like to serve this curry with basmati rice cooked in stock and tossed with butter, and a dish of spinach that has been briefly boiled then tossed in a pan with cream and a little nutmeg.

BEEF, BEER AND MUSHROOM STEW WITH CHEESY DUMPLINGS

My lovely mum is a fabulous cookery writer and as kids we were her happy guinea pigs. A couple of her books were on British cooking and I have the fondest memories of dumplings with lots of gravy. My version has the addition of baking powder to make them very light and fluffy; if you prefer a more solid dumpling, you can omit it from the recipe.

TO SERVE SIX

600g/1lb 5oz stewing steak cubed

2 tbsp plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil or beef dripping

50g/2oz butter

1 red onion peeled and chopped

2 ribs of celery cleaned, trimmed and chopped

2 carrots peeled and chopped

350g/12oz brown mushrooms trimmed, quartered

2 leeks cleaned, trimmed and chopped

1 tsp paprika

500ml/18fl oz light beer or lager freshly ground black pepper

For the dumplings

100g/4oz self-raising flour

50g/2oz prepared suet

¹/₄ tsp baking powder

1 tsp mustard powder

75g/3oz strong grated Cheddar cheese

1 handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 egg beaten

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Roll the meat in the seasoned flour until coated. Heat the oil or dripping in a large pot with a lid and brown the meat in two batches. Pop the meat in a bowl until needed. Reduce the heat and plop the butter into the pot, throw in all the vegetables, the paprika and a good grind of black pepper and give it a proper stir. Gently fry for about 25 minutes until soft, keeping an eye on them and stirring every few minutes, as you don’t want them to burn. Return the meat to the pot. Glug in the beer or lager and enough water to just cover the meat, stir through, pop the lid on the pot and place in the oven for 1³/₄ hours.

Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Using a fork, briskly mix in the egg and enough water to make a sticky dough but do not over-mix. Form into dumplings the size of walnuts and pop on top of the stew at the end of the cooking time, cover the pot and cook for a further 15 minutes. Serve with a salad on the side if you like, but it is a whole meal on its own.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

Jane Grigson called boeuf à la bourguignon (beef in the Burgundy style), ‘The stew of stews.’ This rich, delicious dish is worthy of a good-quality red wine.

TO SERVE SIX

1.5kg/3lb 15oz chuck stewing or braising steak cut into 4cm/11/2 inch cubes

30g/1¹/₄oz plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

125g/4oz pancetta cut into little sticks

¹/₂ bottle of full-bodied red wine such as Merlot or Burgundy

300ml/10fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

1 bouquet garni

20 pearl (or ‘button’) onions peeled and trimmed

225g/8oz button mushrooms

25g/1oz butter

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Coat the beef cubes thoroughly with the seasoned flour. Heat half the oil in a large ovenproof pan with a lid on a high heat. Fry the pancetta in the oil until browned, then remove it from the pan. Add the meat and fry, adding a little more oil if necessary. Fry the meat in batches, putting in just as many pieces as will cover the bottom of the pan, until browned. Set the meat aside with the pancetta.

Reduce the heat to medium to low, pour in half the wine and bring to the boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the gubbins that have stuck to the bottom. Return the meat and pancetta to the pan. Pour in the rest of the wine and just enough of the stock to leave the top halves of the uppermost pieces of meat showing above the liquid. Add the bouquet garni, stir and season with pepper. Pop the lid on the pan and simmer in the oven for 2 hours. Meanwhile, simmer the onions in a small pan in the remaining stock for 5 minutes. Remove the onions and discard the stock. Fry the onions and mushrooms gently in the rest of the oil and the butter for 10 minutes, and then set aside until needed.

Once the meat has finished simmering, remove the bouquet garni and stir the onions and mushrooms through. Taste for seasoning. I like to serve with mashed potatoes (see page 187) and buttered Savoy cabbage.

BOEUF EN DAUBE

This is a classic stew from Provence, made using either white or red wine. Daube is traditionally served with noodles and often made with the meat of bulls killed in bullfights, which still take place in the region. It’s named after ‘dobar’, the Spanish word for stew.

TO SERVE FOUR TO SIX

1kg/2¹/₄lb chuck steak cut into 5cm/2 inch cubes

2 tbsp olive oil

150g/5oz pancetta cut into small cubes

1 red pepper cored, seeded and sliced

2 red onions peeled and chopped

100g/3¹/₂oz black olives

150ml/5fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

400g tin of chopped plum tomatoes

2 anchovies chopped

2 strips of orange zest (use a potato peeler)

1 handful of rinsed capers (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade

150ml/5fl oz white wine

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves of garlic peeled, bashed and cut in half

1 tsp each finely chopped fresh thyme and rosemary

freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, add the beef and stir through. Leave to stand for a couple of hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Heat half the oil in a large pan with a lid, pop the pancetta into the pan and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown. Stir in the red pepper, onions and olives and fry for 10 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in another pan until smoking. Drain the beef from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and fry the beef in batches for 3 minutes on each side until brown. Add to the pan with the onion mixture, and deglaze the pan the beef was fried in with the stock. Pour the stock over the meat, stir in the tomatoes, reserved marinade, anchovies and orange zest, stir through and pop into the oven for 2 hours. Check after 1 hour and top up with water if it starts to dry out. Once it is cooked through, stir in the capers, if using, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a little boiling water if it is a bit dry. Serve with plain boiled potatoes tossed in butter and parsley, a tomato salad and a big green salad. It is also lovely with couscous.

FEATHERBLADE

Jeremy Lee’s

Jeremy is a fantastic chef and his wit is sharper than any knife and keener than the strongest mustard. His smile and cooking can brighten any day. In this recipe, the featherblade, a piece of shoulder of beef, is cooked very slowly on the gentlest of heats until tender.

TO SERVE TEN TO TWELVE MOST HEARTILY

6 tbsp olive oil

1 piece of featherblade of beef about 2.5kg/5¹/₂lb

150g/5oz unsalted butter

6 fresh sage leaves

1 generous sprig each of fresh thyme and rosemary

10 cloves of garlic unpeeled

250g/9oz lentils those from Puy are excellent

1 small onion peeled and finely chopped

1 small carrot peeled and finely chopped

1 rib of celery peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped

1 bay leaf

For the green sauce

tight fistful of picked fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 anchovy fillets coarsely chopped

1 tsp of capers coarsely chopped

2 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp very good red wine vinegar

sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Place a heavy-bottomed pot on a gentle heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Liberally salt and pepper the featherblade, ensuring a thoroughly even seasoning rubbed all over. Place the meat in the heated oil and let it sit until darkened and well coloured, without singeing. Move and repeat until the whole piece is marvellously crusted all over.

Remove the joint, discard any oil and wipe the pan, leaving only the gunk adhering to the bottom and sides of the pan. Add in the butter and 2 tablespoons of fresh oil. Throw in the herbs and then return the beef, rolling altogether. Add a cup or so of water and stand back, then reduce the heat to a little murmur and place a lid upon the pot. Let the joint cook quietly for 4-6 hours until the piece is soft and tender. Roll the joint occasionally to prevent sticking and add a little water every now and then to keep the whole thing merry.

While the beef continues on its way, attention now turns towards the lentils. Tip the lentils into a sieve and rinse very well under cold, running water. Put the lentils into a pot, cover with cold water and set this upon a high heat and bring to a boil. Tip the lentils into a colander and rinse lightly under cold water. Pour the remaining oil into a pan then add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic. Fry gently for ten minutes or so, stirring frequently, then add the lentils and the bay leaf and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer and leave to cook, a lid upon the pot, for a few hours until very tender.

Once the pots are simmering, make the green sauce. Wash the leaves very well, leave them to dry, then place in a bowl with the anchovies, capers and garlic. Pour in the oil and the vinegar stirring together very well.

Remove the beef to a splendid dish. Add some water to the pot, up the heat and stir well lifting up any scraps adhering to the bottom of the pot. Tip the warm lentils into this, then add the green sauce. Pour this over the beef and take triumphantly to the table where folks can help themselves.

BOLLITO MISTO

Bollito misto, as its name suggests, is mixed boiled meat. It is the Italian equivalent of boiled beef and carrots, totally delicious and almost as easy to make as a boiled egg. The list of meat is only a guide—add or omit meats as you like.

TO SERVE EIGHT TO TEN

1 small veal tongue about 1kg/2¹/₄lb, trimmed of all bones (I like to tie mine with string in a roll)

1 ham hock about 1kg/2¹/₄lb

2 onions peeled

4 carrots peeled

¹/₂ celeriac peeled and cubed

1 small chicken

1 bay leaf

1 Cotechino (pork boiling sausage)

Fill a very large pot three-quarters full with water and bring to the boil. Drop in the tongue and ham and simmer for 1¹/₂ hours.

Plop the veg, chicken and bay leaf into the pot and continue simmering for another 30 minutes. Take the tongue out and leave to cool, then peel the skin off the tongue and chuck the skin away. Cook the Cotechino as directed on the package. Return the tongue to the pot and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.

Serve all the meat cut in slices, with plain boiled potatoes tossed in butter and parsley, some lentils and a few sauces. My favourite is salsa verde, but a home-made mayonnaise with a little grated fresh horseradish is delicious, as is mostarda di cremona and Dijon mustard. Serve with or without the broth and boiled vegetables.

CRAZY HOMIES EXTERMINATOR CHILLI

Tom Conran’s

Tom, my exceptional brother, owns a fantastic Mexican restaurant in London, Crazy Homies.We recommend drinking margueritas with this chilli for a real party.

TO SERVE TEN TO TWELVE

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2kg/4¹/₄lb minced beef

2 large onions peeled and finely chopped

3 fresh jalapeno chillies finely chopped

3 tbsp crushed cumin seeds

2 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp paprika

375ml/13fl oz beer

500ml/18fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

875g/1lb 15oz crushed tomatoes

1kg/2¹/₄lb cooked kidney or pinto beans sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish

soured cream

grated sharp Cheddar cheese

chopped spring onions

salsa

Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and brown the beef all over. Set aside. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and sweat the onions gradually until they start to colour brown (this stage is very important and gives the dish a lot of flavour).

Add the chopped chillies and sauté a minute longer, then add the herbs and spices and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the beef, beer, beef stock and tomatoes, bring up to the boil and then simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the beans and cook for another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

This probably tastes better the next day when the flavours have had a chance to meld. Garnish with the sour cream, cheese, onions and salsa.

TIP You can play with the spicing to your own tastes—add allspice, fennel seed, other chillies, orange zest, and so on. Go to www.lucky7london.co.uk for an update on Tom’s restaurants.

CARBONNADE À LA FLAMANDE

This is a traditional Belgian dish dating back to the 14th century. I am afraid I have doctored it slightly by using a light beer instead of dark, but the result is fabulous.

TO SERVE TWO

2 tbsp olive oil

700g/4¹/₂lb chuck steak cut into two large steaks

1 tbsp butter

4 red onions peeled and finely sliced

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

400ml/14fl oz light Belgian beer

1 bouquet garni

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp double cream

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid on a very high heat until smoking. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and fry without turning for about 3 minutes on each side or until they have a brown crust. Remove the steaks to a plate and reduce the heat. Drop the butter into the pan and stir in the onions. Cook, stirring every now and then, for about 10 minutes until they are soft. Pour in the vinegar and sugar and give the onions a good stir. Continue stirring every now and again for another 10 minutes or until the onions have become caramelised and slightly gooey.

Return the steaks to the pan, pour the beer over them and drop in the bouquet garni. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with the lid and pop in the oven for 3 hours, checking every hour or so to make sure it is not drying out. Add some water if it is, to keep it moist, and turn over the pieces of meat. Remove the pan from the oven and put it back on the hob. Transfer the meat to a plate and discard the herbs. Turn up the heat and reduce the sauce to about half the quantity.

Meanwhile, mix the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and cream in a bowl. Once the sauce has reduced, slice the meat into 2cm/³/₄ inch strips and return to the pan with any juice. Stir in the cream and mustard mixture and heat through. Serve with mashed potatoes (see page 187), and carrots tossed in butter and chopped tarragon.

OSSO BUCCO AND RISOTTO MILANESE

My son Felix goes nuts for osso bucco which literally means bone with a hole—it is his favourite dish. The meat becomes so tender, you can cut it with a spoon.With or without the gremolata, it is an easy and satisfying stew.

TO SERVE FOUR

2 tbsp olive oil

4 large pieces of veal shin, or osso bucco with bones in (about 2kg/41/4lb in total)

1 tbsp plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

50g/2oz butter

1 large red onion peeled and chopped

1 rib of celery cleaned, trimmed and chopped

2 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped

150ml/5fl oz white wine

400g tin of plum tomatoes

about 150ml/5fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

2 strips of orange peel (use a potato peeler)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the risotto

2 tbsp olive oil

100g/3¹/₂oz butter

1 Spanish onion peeled and finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped

5 handfuls of risotto rice

(1 for each person and 1 for the pot)

150ml/5fl oz white wine

about 1.5 litres/2¹/₂ pints chicken stock (see page 185)

1 large pinch of saffron threads

1 handful of freshly grated Parmesan sea salt to taste

For the gremolata

2 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped

zest of 1 lemon finely chopped

1 handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a pan with a lid big enough to take the meat all in one layer. Coat the meat in the seasoned flour and fry over a medium to high heat, turning once until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat, add the butter and gently fry the onion and celery for 10 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the garlic, pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge any flour sticking to the bottom, then simmer for 5 minutes.

Throw in the tomatoes, stock and strips of orange peel, giving the tomatoes a bit of a mash with your spoon. Return the meat to the pan and submerge it in the sauce. Cover the pan and leave to gently simmer for 2 hours, stirring from time to time, turning the meat and adding some water if it starts to dry out.

After about 90 minutes, start making the risotto. Heat the oil and half the butter in a large pan and gently fry the onion for about 10 minutes or until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and rice and fry, stirring continuously, for a couple of minutes. Glug in the wine and let it bubble until it is all but evaporated.

Meanwhile, heat the stock in a pan. Ideally, it should be kept warm for the whole process. Sprinkle the saffron and a pinch of salt into the rice and stir through. From now on it’s a pretty repetitive process involving adding about a wine glass full of stock and stirring a lot, until the rice has absorbed almost all the stock, then adding some more and repeating.

This should continue until the rice is almost cooked, but with still a tiny little bite to it. Take off the heat and, using a wooden spoon, gently beat the rest of the butter and the Parmesan into the rice.

When your meat is extremely tender and beginning to fall off the bone, it is ready to plate up. Mix together the ingredients for the gremolata in a bowl, and sprinkle on top of the osso bucco. Serve with the risotto.

LAMB SOUPS

WELSH CAWL

SCOTCH BROTH

LAMB AND NOODLES WITH SEVEN PRECIOUS INGREDIENTS

AUBERGINE, LAMB AND CHICKPEA SOUP

LAMB STEWS

Dave Myers & Si King aka ‘The Hairy Bikers’

LANCASHIRE HOTPOT

SPICED LAMB WITH BEANS

LAMB SHANKS WITH CARAMELISED ONION

MEXICAN LAMB

SPANISH LAMB SHOULDER WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Vicki Conran’s

IRISH STEW

LAMB WITH PRESERVED LEMON

Lamb

WELSH CAWL

This soup is as Welsh as dragons and has its roots in the mists of time. I am not sure why it is called cawl—I have found some reference to the caul being a sheep’s stomach and occasionally being used as one of the ingredients. However, cawl nowadays seems to mean soup in Welsh and there are as many varieties as there are mountains in Wales. It is reputed to taste even better if you gently sing in Welsh as the pot simmers.

TO SERVE SIX TO EIGHT

1kg/2¹/₄lb lamb shoulder bone in

1 large onion peeled and roughly chopped

7 peppercorns

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