Farfield's Food Blog: Comfort Food

Stews and casseroles
Meatloaf
Hot Soups

STEWS OR CASSEROLES

A warming stew is great comfort food and you can make it out of just about anything. Use whatever vegetables are in season or in your crisper. Check your pantry for ingredients such as soup mix or split peas or prunes. Cheap cuts of meat are great for stews. Stews are a good way of using up odd things in your frig and pantry such as left over stock or tomato paste or pesto - even chutney can be good in a stew. You don’t need a recipe just follow the simple steps below and experiment with different flavours.

Use less tender cuts of meat for stews as tender cuts of meat tend to become dry with prolonged cooking. A little bit of fat and connective tissue adds flavour to a stew as it breaks down in the long cooking process. If you are worried about too much fat cook the stew the day before it is needed. Store it overnight in the refrigerator and remove any fat or oil on the surface of the dish before reheating it next day.

Round steak is good for stews, cook for around 1 ½ -2 hours at 180C. Cuts such as chuck steak, gravy beef, shin with the bone in (osso bucco) and skirt steak can be cooked in a slow oven - 120 C for 6 hours or so and are ideal for a slow cooker. Lamb shoulder, lamb neck chops and lamb shanks, pork shoulder and chicken legs and thighs also make good stews.

1. BROWN MEAT

Heat a tablespoon of oil or butter (a combination helps to prevent the butter burning so easily) over moderate to high heat in an oven-proof, heavy based casserole dish. Brown meat around 1 kilogram of meat in small batches so that the meat sears rather than stews in its own juices (which will make it tough, on the other hand cooking it too long and fiercely will turn it into boot leather). You want it coloured but still soft. You will need to add a dash of oil between each batch. Remove the meat from the pot once brown.

2. SAUTÉ BASIC FLAVOURINGS

Add some more oil or butter and sauté about 1 cup of your basic flavourings such as diced onion, carrots, capsicums, fennel and celery, (a mix called a soffritto). Cook them slowly so they don’t burn but turn translucent. Bacon, pancetta, chorizo can also be fried to add flavour.

3. FRY AROMATICS

Add a dash more oil or butter is necessary and add your aromatics such as garlic, ginger, spices and hard herbs such as rosemary and thyme. Cook for a couple of minutes, without burning, to bring out the flavour of the aromatics.

4. DEGLAZE WITH ALCOHOL

If you like add half a cup of wine, beer, cider, sherry, brandy or port and stir to release bits on the bottom of the pot. Reduce the alcohol by about one half to intensify the flavour.

5. ADD VEGETABLES AND GRAINS AND PULSES

Add the browned meat and coarsely chopped vegetables to the pot. If you want the stew to be more substantial you can add grains such as pearl barley or pulses such as lentils, dried beans or chick peas. Add tender vegetables such as peas and tinned beans later in the cooking process.

6. ADD LIQUID AND COOK

Add enough stock or water, a combination with tomatoes, to just cover the ingredients in the pot. Bring stew to boil and then turn down to a gently simmer. Seal with a tight fitting lid, or place foil or baking paper under the lid and press around the rim of the pot. Cook on the stove top or in the oven until the meat and vegetables are tender.

7. SERVING

Adjust the seasoning of the stew. It may need a dash of balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, sweet chilli sauce or Tabasco. You can add some pesto, chutney and the like for extra flavour. If you like a thick stew you can toss your meat in seasoned flour before browning it or stir in flour after adding the aromatics and whisk in the wine, or add a slurry of cornflour to the cooked stew and simmer for a couple of minutes or stir in nuggets of butter mixed with twice as much flour (beurre manie) into the stew just before serving, or just incorporate some breadcrumbs.

Serve your stew with pasta, bread, mashed potatoes, gnocchi, or dumplings.

DUMPLINGS: Rub 50g of butter into 1 cup of sifted flour, add flavourings such as finely chopped herbs, grated cheese, then add 1 lightly beaten egg and enough milk to make a soft dough. Drop tablespoons of dumpling mixture into stew about 15 minutes before serving, cover pot and cook until dumplings are done.

Some good flavour combinations are:

BURGUNDY:

Meat - lamb, beef or chicken, rabbit, game;

basic flavourings – spring bulb onions or French shallots, button mushrooms, bacon;

aromatics – garlic, bay leaf, thyme, juniper berries;

alcohol – red wine, port;

fluid - stock, tomato paste.

PROVENCALE:

Meat - beef, chicken, fish;

basic flavourings - onion, roasted red capsicums, bacon,

aromatics - anchovies, black olives, garlic, thyme,

vegetables - tomatoes, eggplants, zucchinis;

fluid – stock, passata or tinned tomatoes; crushed tomatoes

alcohol - white wine, fluid;

serving – basil.

HUNGARIAN:

Meat – beef;

basic flavourings - onion, capsicum;

aromatics - garlic, marjoram, sweet paprika, caraway, lemon zest;

alcohol - white wine;

fluid - beef stock/water, tomato paste.

MOROCCAN:

Meat – lamb, beef;

basic flavourings – onion;

aromatics - cayenne pepper or chilli powder, one or more spices such as ground coriander or seeds, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, black pepper, tumeric, lemon rind;

fluid – water or stock, balsamic vinegar to taste;

vegetables – sweet potato, and something sweet such as quince paste, prunes, honey, dates;

serving – blanched almonds, coriander, yoghurt.

COUNTRY:

Meat - Beef, lamb;

basic flavourings – onions, garlic, mushrooms, aromatics – garlic, mixed herbs;

alcohol – beer, stout (too much will make it bitter)

fluid – stock, Worcestershire sauce;

vegetables – carrots, potatoes, parsnips, swedes, turnips.

ITALIAN:

Meat – veal, beef, lamb, chicken;

basic flavourings – onions; aromatics – garlic, bay leaf;

alcohol – dry white wine;

fluid – stock, canned tomatoes, tomato paste;

vegetables – carrots, celery, fennel;

serving – parsley and lemon zest.

FRICASSEE:

Meat – veal, chicken, pork, fish;

basic flavourings – leeks;

aromatics – garlic, 2 bay leaves, tarragon;

alcohol – dry white wine, cider;

fluid – chicken stock;

vegetables – button mushrooms;

serving – just before serving stir in ½ cup of cream, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 egg yolks.

SPANISH:

Meat – chicken;

basic flavourings – onion, capsicum,

aromatics – chorizo, oregano, hot or smoked paprika;

alcohol – sherry;

fluid –stock, tomato paste,

vegetables – diced tomatoes

MEATLOAVES

Meatloaf – what a great name for a rock star and a dish that can be as sophisticated or rustic as you like. Eat piping hot served on a base of mashed potato or pumpkin, parsnip, or pea puree accompanied by vegetables and gravy for comforting winter food or as cold picnic food with a green salad and chutney if the weather warms up and the outdoors beckon.

To cook a meatloaf you need a loaf pan or a dish with reasonably high sides. Make sure it is greased well so that it is easy to extract the cooked meatloaf or line the pan with baking paper.

The basic recipe

Put about 800g of mince (veal, pork, beef, lamb, chicken), 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 egg, 1 or 2 cloves of crushed garlic, spices, herbs and seasonings in a bowl.

Mix thoroughly with your hands until the mixture is sticky and holds together.

You can add some liquid but if you do so add some more breadcrumbs and an additional egg to ensure the meatloaf holds together after it has cooked.

If you wish, sauté the onion, garlic, aromatics and flavourings before adding them to mixture.

Press mixture into the prepared pan and cover with some foil to prevent overbrowning.

Bake at 160ºC for 45-55 minutes until firm and the juices are clear when a skewer is inserted.

Stand for 5-10 minutes then turn out on to a platter, slice and garnish.

Some interesting flavour combinations

Beef mince; onion, garlic, egg, soft breadcrumbs, 1 cup of diced vegetables, a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce and barbeque sauce and a pinch of mixed herbs. Top the meatloaf with a mixture of grated cheese, butter and breadcrumbs, remove foil to allow it to brown.

Pork and veal mince, onion, garlic, egg, soft breadcrumbs, ½ cup of pistachio nuts, 1 tbsp chopped rosemary, ½ tbsp fennel seeds, pinch of allspice. Line the pan with slices of pancetta.

Beef mince, onion, garlic, egg, soft breadcrumbs, ½ cup of chopped pancetta, ½ cup sliced green olives, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 1 tbsp chopped oregano.

Chicken mince, egg, soft breadcrumbs, finely chopped lemon grass, 2 finely chopped kaffir lime leaves, ¼ cup chopped coriander, and 2 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce. Garnish the cooked meatloaf with sliced chilli, green shallot, coriander leaves and drizzle with sweet chilli sauce.

Beef mince, onion, garlic, egg, soft breadcrumbs, grated rind of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp tomato paste, ½ cup basil pesto. Top with a breadcrumb, thyme, parmesan cheese and olive oil mixture.

Pork and veal mince, onion, garlic, egg, soft breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, ½ cup of diced feta, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ cup chopped parsley. Line the pan with thin slices of bacon. Drizzle with a homemade tomato sauce to serve.

Turkey mince, onion, garlic, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, 1 grated apple, 1 tbsp chopped sage, ½ chopped parsley. Once the meatloaf is cooked, glaze generously with melted cranberry sauce.

You can add a few surprises to your meatloaves such as a row of boiled eggs along the middle of the mixture, or a row of olives, or semi-dried tomatoes.

HOT SOUPS

Winter is the best time for soups. When it’s dark and cold outside, soups are warming, comforting and nourishing. Not only that, they are very easy to make, and you can make them out of ingredients you have handy in your fridge and pantry. Soups are a great way to use leftovers or vegetables that need to be used quickly. There are no rules in making soups but here are some suggestions.

Purees – thick, smooth soups that are filling and easy to make

A puree soup takes about 10 to 15 minutes preparation and 20-30 minutes cooking time. You can use any vegetable you like but add potato or another starchy vegetable such as sweet potato, pumpkin or beans to give the soup lusciousness.

1. Simply sauté aromatics such as onion, leeks, garlic, celery, chilli, then add your choice of chopped vegetables and cover with stock. (it is best to add tender leafy vegetables such as spinach when the other vegetables are almost cooked)

2. Simmer until the vegetables are soft then add a little milk if you like (this helps cool the soup down and adds richness) and puree with a stick blender, food processor or liquidizer, depending on how smooth you would your soup to be.

3. Season to taste and add some more milk or stock if the soup is too thick.

4. You can garnish the soup with all sorts of treats such as a dollop of cream or sour cream, grated parmesan cheese, knobs of blue cheese, sautéed scallops, prawns, crispy bacon bits, croutons, chopped herbs, even a dollop of tapenade or pesto.

Chunky soups – A meal in themselves

If you are going to use meat, choose cheap cuts which will become tender and moist with long slow cooking.

You can use meat on the bone such as lamb shanks, a smoked hock or whole chicken to make the stock if you like.

1. Simmer the meat covered with water to which you have added some onions, carrots, celery, peppercorns or whatever else you fancy to give flavour.

2. Cook until the meat is falling of the bone.

3. Strain the liquid and put it in your fridge overnight if you can so that you can skim the fat off the stock easily.

4. Meanwhile, when the meat is cool, shred the good bits to put back in the soup.

Use your stock to make the soup

1. Sauté some diced vegetables such as carrots, onions, leeks, garlic, chilli, celery and if you like some mushrooms, tomatoes, diced bacon or chorizo or spices to add flavour.

2. Add them to the heated stock along with other vegetables such as potatoes, swedes that need to simmer for a while and add hard herbs such as a bay leaf and sprig of thyme.

3. When the vegetables are almost tender add any delicate leafy vegetables.

4. Add any leftover cooked vegetables, cooked pasta and precooked meat at the last minute too so they heat through but don’t fall apart or become tough.

5. Add chopped soft herbs such as parsley at the end.

You can add grains and pulses such as pearl barley, lentils, chick peas, beans and split peas as well as dumplings, pasta, noodles, rice and meatballs to make the soup more substantial.

1. An easy way to make meatballs is to buy some of your favourite flavoured organic sausages and squeeze meatball amounts out of them into the soup.

2. Add canned beans and lentils and other cooked pulses and grains no more than half an hour before serving so they don’t turn to mush.

3. You can use dried pulses but they will need to be soaked overnight, drained, rinsed and added at the beginning of cooking.

Asian soups – have a lovely fresh flavour and are very quick to cook

1. Start off by heating up a good quality stock, or even a consommé.

2. Add typical Asian flavours such some rice wine vinegar, some soy sauce, a little fish sauce, a dash of palm sugar or even sherry.

3. Add some garlic, ginger and chilli or lemon grass.

4. Try to get a stock with a balance of salty, sweet, sour and savoury flavours and a dash of hot.

5. While the soup is heating, pour some hot water over some Asian noodles. Drain and add them to the soup along with some finely sliced vegetables such as carrot, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, Chinese broccoli or bok choy.

6. Simmer these until they are almost tender then add some meat such as finely sliced fillet steak, green prawns, scallops, crab, shredded cooked chicken.

7. Garnish with some chopped coriander, a few leaves of Vietnamese mint, maybe a handful of bean sprouts and a squeeze of lime or serve lime quarters so diners can add their own to taste.

Consommé – great for starting a special dinner

A consommé is the easiest and most difficult soup to make. To start from scratch take one bullock, boil it, reduce it to a litre of stock over several days, strain it, then clarify it with eggshells to give a glistening jelly-like liquid with an intense flavour. Yes, you can make your own consommé and it is a great way to use up the not-so-choice cuts of meat and the bones from an animal but if you are short on time this is one occasion when it is sensible to take the easy route and buy a carton or two of chicken or beef consommé from the supermarket (it is usually hidden in the soup section or sometimes in the stock section).

1. Gently warm up the consommé and have fun experimenting with additional flavours, for example:

· ¼ cup sherry, some very finely diced button mushrooms and a pinch of dried tarragon

· ¼ cup port, some sour cherries and some shredded duck.

· ½ red wine, sliced mushrooms and at the last moment some thinly sliced beef fillet.

· 1 cup of shredded beetroot and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar – instant borsch

2. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve with cubes of bread fried in a good extra virgin olive oil

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