Stews are not something to be cooked in a hurry - these are dishes reserved for weekend cooking when we have more time on our hands.
I always like to make a double batch and then freeze a portion for a week-night meal when I am pressed for time.
Meat for stewing is cheaper than prime cuts but I think they have far more flavour.
Even if the recipe calls for boneless stewing meat, I always include some bones as these add so much extra flavour to a stew. Just remove the bones before serving.
A friend recently bought me a tin of sweet paprika from Hungary, so I took the opportunity to make a Hungarian goulash. I haven’t made this recipe for ages and had forgotten just how tasty and warming it is.
If you don’t want to serve it with noodles, then mashed potato will be the perfect thing for mopping up all that delicious gravy.
When it’s cold, few things taste as comforting as a bowl of stew. Try these four recipes from Angela Day.
OXTAIL WITH STOUT AND MUSHROOMS
Serves 4-6
2kg oxtail
250ml seasoned flour
60ml olive oil
250g bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
15ml thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
440ml can of Guinness
500ml beef stock
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
250g portabellini mushrooms, halved
120g shitake mushrooms, halved
10 baby onions, peeled
salt and pepper
mashed potato, to serve
Dust the oxtail in the seasoned flour. Heat half the oil in a large casserole and brown the oxtail in batches. Remove and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil and fry the bacon, onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaves for 10 minutes, until softened.
Return the oxtail to the pot and add the Guinness and beef stock.
Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered for an hour. Stir occasionally.
After the hour, add the carrots, mushrooms and baby onions and simmer for another hour, until meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Season well with salt and pepper and serve with mashed potato.
HUNGARIAN GOULASH
Serves 6-8
30ml olive oil
1.2kg, soft shin, cubed
2 large onions, peeled, halved and cut into thin wedges
45ml Hungarian sweet paprika
10ml caraway seeds
5-10ml cayenne pepper
125ml red wine
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
70g tin of tomato paste
2 bay leaves
500ml water
salt and pepper
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into thin slices
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into thin slices
60ml chopped parsley
cooked noodles for serving
sour cream for serving
Heat the oil and brown the meat in batches. Remove and set aside.
Add a little more oil if necessary to the pot and fry the onions over a medium heat until soft.
Stir in the paprika, caraway seeds and cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant.
Return the meat to the pot with the red wine, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves and water.
Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook over a medium heat for 1 hour.
Add the potatoes, carrots and peppers and simmer until the meat and vegetables are soft and mixture has thickened.
Remove the bay leaves, stir in the parsley and serve on buttered noodles Top with a dollop of sour cream.
HARISSA SPICED LAMB
Serves 4-6
250ml flour
30ml ground cumin
30ml ground coriander
1kg lamb neck
60ml olive oil
2 onions, peeled, halved and sliced
1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and sliced
2cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
250ml white wine
250ml lamb stock
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
30ml tomato paste
30ml harissa paste
30ml honey
juice of 1 lemon
125ml chopped dried apricots
250ml flaked almonds, toasted
salt and pepper
400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
125ml chopped fresh coriander
couscous, to serve
Combine the flour with 15ml cumin and 15ml coriander. Dust the lamb in the seasoned flour.
Heat half the oil in an ovenproof casserole and brown the lamb in batches. Set aside.
Heat the remaining oil and fry the onions, pepper, ginger and garlic until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the remaining 15ml cumin and 15ml coriander and fry for a few minutes.
Stir in the wine and boil for 2-3 minutes.
Add the browned lamb, stock, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, harissa, honey, lemon juice, dried apricots and half the almonds. Season with salt and pepper and stir well.
Bring to the boil, cover with the lid and transfer to the oven for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the beans and cook for a further 20-30 minutes.
Stir in the coriander and serve sprinkled with the remaining almonds on a bed of couscous.
PORK AND CHORIZO STEW
Serves 6-8
15ml olive oil
1kg skinless boneless pork belly, cut into chunks
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
2 stalks of celery, chopped
10ml chopped garlic
1 chorizo sausage, cut into slices
10ml fennel seeds
3ml dried chilli flakes
2 bay leaves
a few sprigs of thyme
30ml red wine vinegar
30ml tomato paste
400g tin of chopped tomato
15ml sugar
salt and pepper
500ml chicken stock
400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
chopped parsley for serving
cooked rice for serving
Heat the oil in an ovenproof casserole or pot and fry the pork in batches until browned. Remove and set aside.
Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the chorizo and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Stir in the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, bay leaves and thyme and cook for a minute.
Add the vinegar and cook for a few seconds.
Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, sugar and seasoning and mix well. Return the pork and pour over the stock, cover and bring to the boil.
Place the casserole or pot into a pre-heated oven at 170ºC for 1 hour. Remove from the oven. Add in the chickpeas and mix well.
Cover and return to the oven for another hour or until the meat is meltingly tender.
Serve sprinkled with parsley, accompanied by rice.