Cabbage Roll Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 large can (28oz) diced tomatoes
1 large head of cabbage
2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups gruyere or monterey jack cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup milk

Method:

1. Brown beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Stir in tomatoes (including juice), tomato paste, seasoning and tomato sauce. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and add rice.
3. Meanwhile, coarsely chop cabbage, rinse and shake dry. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add 1/2 of the cabbage. Cook just until softened (about 5 minutes). Repeat with remaining cabbage.
4. Place 1/2 of the cabbage in a large casserole dish. Top with 1/2 of the meat sauce. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
5. In a small bowl combine cheese, egg and milk. Remove foil, top casserole with cheese mixture and bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes.

Lamb Shank

Ingredients

4-6 tablespoons olive oil
1.6kg or 4 lamb shanks, trimmed
5 tablespoons flour
1 leek, halved and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of rosemary
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
350ml (12 fl oz) red wine
600ml (1 pint) chicken stock
Sea salt

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees C (gas mark 2).
2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy, metal roasting pan on the cooker over medium-high heat. Toss shanks with flour to coat well; then shake off excess. Sear the shanks in hot oil until well browned on all sides, then remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add the leek, celery, carrot, onion, and garlic to the roasting pan. Cook until softened and lightly browned, stirring constantly; about 5 minutes.
4. Season with the bay leaf, peppercorns, thyme and rosemary sprigs. Pour in the red wine and chicken stock, increase heat to high, and bring to a simmer.
5. Season to taste with sea salt, and place the lamb shanks on top of the vegetables.
6. Cover the roasting pan tightly with heavy foil, and place into the preheated oven. Bake gently until the meat is tender and falls off of the bone, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the bay leaf and herb stems before serving shanks with vegetables and sauce.

Serves: 4 

Prep:15min 

Cook:2hr30min 

Ready in:2hr45min 

One-Pot Stew

Ingredients:

2 pounds meat cut from the shoulder of beef, veal or pork (any or all three)
2 onions
1 ounce (2 Tbsp.) lard
1 pound root vegetables (at least two of the following: carrots, turnips, kohlrabi, celery root, leek)
1 marrow bone chopped into lengths (optional)
1 quart stock or water
Salt and pepper
2 pounds (6 medium-size) potatoes
1 pound white cabbage or green beans
3 Tbsp. chopped, fresh herbs: lovage, basil, savory (any or all)

Method:

1. Cube the meat and slice the onions. 
2. Melt the fat in a deep, heavy saucepan or casserole dish and fry the meat until it loses its redness; then, add the onions. Cover and allow to stew gently. 
3. Peel and cube the root vegetables. Add these to the meat. 
4. Add the marrow bone if you have it, and then the stock or water. 
5. Season with salt and pepper. Put the lid on tightly again and bring all to a boil. Turn the heat down to simmer. 
6. Total stewing time will be about 1 hour. You may need to add a little more liquid. 
7. Meanwhile, peel and slice the potatoes into thick wedges. Add them 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time (give the stew a stir at the same time). Wash and shred the cabbage or top-and-tail the beans. Put on top of the stew to cook in the steam for the last 10 minutes. 
8. When the meat is soft, remove the marrow bones and scrape out the marrow into the sauce. Mash the vegetables a little to thicken the sauce. Finely chop the fresh herbs and stir them in just before you serve. The dish is complete and needs no accompaniment except a slice of good bread to mop up the gravy. 

If using a casserole, the dish can be cooked in a preheated oven at 375° for an hour.

Serves 6 to 8

Pot Roast

Ingredients:

1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast
1 tsp House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup red wine
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp beef bouillon granules
3/4 cup water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Add the House Seasoning, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Rub seasoning into the roast on both sides. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the meat in a roaster pan. Add onions and garlic to skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb leftover roast juice. Place into roaster pan with meat and bay leaves.
3. Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. Pour over the roast. Add water.
4. Cover pan with foil and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender.
5. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
6. If the gravy is not thick enough, remove the meat from the pan and pour the gravy into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and thicken it by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water, stirring constantly.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients and store in an air tight container for up to 6 months.

Slow Provençal Lamb

Ingredients:
1 lamb shoulder, about 4-1/2 pounds/2 kg, cut into large chunks
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, peeled and sliced
6 plum tomatoes
About 1-1/2 cups/375 ml red or white wine
1 cup/250 ml veal stock
1 head garlic, broken into peeled cloves
3 bay leaves
2 rosemary branches
1 bouquet fresh thyme
1 pound/450 g red peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 pound/450 g eggplant, cut into chunks
1 pound/450 zucchini, cut into chunks

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 300°F or 150°C. 
2. Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper. Heat a spoonful or two of the oil in a cocotte and brown the meat well on both sides, about 15 minutes per side. Remove the meat. 
3. Add another spoonful of oil and cook the onions until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. 
4. While the onions are browning, peel, quarter, and seed the tomatoes over a sieve set over a bowl to catch the juices. Reserve the tomatoes for later. 
5. Pour the juice into a 2 cup/500 ml measuring cup and add enough wine to fill. Deglaze the onions with the veal stock, stirring up the good bits from the bottom. 
6. Add the wine and tomato juice mixture. Add the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Wet a piece of parchment paper and lay it over the meat, set on a lid, and bake 1-/2 hours. 
7. While the lamb cooks, salt the eggplant and set in a colander to drain, about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. 
8. Roast the red peppers. 
9. Once the lamb has cooked 1-1/2 hours, add the eggplant, tomatoes and peppers, cover and cook for another hour. 
10. Increase the heat to 400°F/200°C. 
11. Remove the lid and the parchment, add the zucchini, and cook a further 45 minutes uncovered. 
12. Serve straight from the pot. 
13. Remove from the oven. Remove the herbs. 
14. Spoon the lamb onto plates, with the sauce spooned over. 

Show: French Food at Home2
Chef: Laura Calder
Category: Main Course

Ease of Cooking: Moderate
Yields: 6 Servings

Irish Lamb Stew

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 lb boneless lamb stew meat (preferably shoulder), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups dark beer
1 1/2 lb medium new potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut 1/2 inch thick diagonally
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method:

1. In a large bowl, season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge lamb in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
2. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Working in batches, brown lamb on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
3. Pour 1/4 cup water into pot, scraping up browned bits from bottom with a wooden spoon. Add onion & cook, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated and onion is beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Return lamb to pot; stir in thyme, beer, and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover; simmer until lamb is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4. Add potatoes, carrots, and 1/2 cup water. Cook, covered, until vegetables are tender and stew has thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Let cool completely before storing. Stir in parsley just before serving.

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
1½ lbs ground round beef
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
1½ - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
8 Tbsp butter (1 stick)
½ cup beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Optional

4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup red wine

Method:

1. Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).
2. While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tbsp butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.
3. Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.
4. Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.
5. Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.
6. Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.
7. Cook in 200°C oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Serves four.

Pot Roast

Ingredients:
3½ lb of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast
1 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
Salt, pepper, italian seasoning to taste
1 large yellow onion, chopped or sliced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
½ cup of red wine
Several carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise

Method:

1. Use a thick-bottomed covered pot (oven-proof), such as a dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat (hot enough to sear the meat). Sprinkle and rub salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning all over the meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, several minutes on each side. Don't move the roast while a side is browning, or it won't brown well.
2. When roast is browned, lift up the meat and add garlic and chopped onion to the bottom of the pan. Let the roast sit on top of the onions. Add red wine. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer when covered. Alternatively, pot roast can be cooked in a 110°C oven, once already browned, and the liquid brought to a simmer.
3. Cook for 3½ to 4 hours, until meat is tender. (If using a pressure cooker, cut the time by half). Near the end of the cooking, add carrots, cook until tender, about an additional 10 minutes.

After cooking 3 1/2 hours, before adding the carrots. Note how much liquid has been released by the meat. This comes from slow cooking at a very low temperature. If your pot roast is too dry, make sure the pan you are using has a tight fitting lid and that you are cooking at the lowest possible heat to maintain the low simmering.
Serves 4-5. Suggest serving with green beans and potatoes.

Lancashire Hotpot (Nigel Haworth)

Ingredients:
1 kg under shoulder, neck and shin of lamb (Cut into 3-4cm thick pieces)
700g thinly sliced onions
1kg peeled King Edward potatoes, sliced
25g plain flour
40g salted butter, melted
150ml chicken stock
3 tsp sea salt
White pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Season the lamb with 1 tsp of salt and a good pinch of pepper, dust with the flour. Put the lamb into the base of the casserole dish.
3. Sweat off the onions in 15g of butter with one tsp of salt for 4-5mins. Spread the onions evenly on top of the lamb in the Hotpot dish.
4. Place potato slices in a medium size bowl, add the remaining 25g melted butter, season with 1 tsp salt and a pinch of white pepper, mix well.
5. Put the sliced potatoes evenly on top of the onions, reserving the best-shaped rounds for the final layer and add the chicken stock.
6. Place the casserole dish, covered in oven for 30 minutes then for approximately 2½ hours on 130°C.
7. Remove from the oven, take off the lid or cover, return to the oven on 180-200°C for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Serve with pickled red cabbage and glazed baby carrots.

Nigel Haworth is the chef-proprietor at the Michelin-starred, 3 AA Rosette Northcote.

Preparation time: 40 mins
Cooking time: 3½ hours

Beef Carbonnade

Ingredients:
30g butter
2-3 Tbsp oil
1kg lean beef rump or chuck steak, cubed
4 onions chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp plain (all purpose flour)
500ml beer (bitter or stout)
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of thyme

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan with a Tbsp of oil. Brown the meat in batches over high heat then lift out onto a plate.
2. Add another Tbsp of oil to the pan and add the onion. Cook over moderate heat for 10 mins, then add the garlic & sugar & cook for another 5 minutes, adding more oil if necessary. Lift out the onion onto a second plate/bowl.
3. Reduce the heat to low and pour in any juices that have drained from the browned meat, then stir in the flour. Remove from the heat and stir in the beer, a little at a time (it tends to foam up). Return to the heat and let the mixture gently simmer and thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Layer the meat and onion in a casserole dish, tucking the bay leaves and sprigs of thyme between the layers and seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Pour the liquid over the meat, cover and cook in the oven for 2½-3 hours or until the meat is tender.

Serve with crusty french loaf.