Woodpigeon casserole

Woodpigeon casserole

serves 4

ingredients

2 pig’s trotters 25g/1oz butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4woodpigeon 12 pickling onions 1 carrot, diced

1 celery stick, diced

100g/4oz streaky back bacon, cut into strips

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

11⁄2 tablespoons plain flour

16 prunes, pitted

2 sprigs of fresh flat-leafparsley 300ml/10fl oz red wine

salt and freshly ground black pepper

•Put the trotters in a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Reserve the liquid and trotters.

•Melt the butter and oil in a flameproof casserole dish. Quickly brown the pigeons, then remove and reserve. Add the onions, carrot, celery and bacon to the pan with the cinnamon, bay leaf and thyme. Stir to coat with the fat, then reduce the heat, cover and sweat gently for

10 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir.

•Return the pigeons to the pan, together with the trotters, prunes, parsley, wine and 600ml/1pt of the reserved cooking liquid. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently, turning the pigeons occasionally, for 45–60 minutes, until tender. Serve hot.

Beef & stout casserole

serves 4

ingredients

• Preheat the oven to 150°C/

700g/11⁄2lb beef

300°F/Gas mark 2.

175g/6oz lean bacon, cubed

• Sauté the beef and bacon in the

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

oil. Drain off the excess liquid.

15g/1⁄2oz butter

Remove the meat and set aside.

2 tablespoons plain flour

• Add the butter to the pan and melt.

1 bottle of stout

Stir in the flour to make a roux;

450g/1lb shallots

cook, stirring, for a minute or two.

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Gradually stir in the stout.

1 tablespoon sugar

• Put the meat and the shallots in a

1 tablespoon wine or

deep casserole dish, and season

cider vinegar

with salt and pepper. Add the

salt and freshly ground

garlic. Sprinkle the sugar on top,

black pepper

and pour in the sauce. Cover and

put in the oven. Cook very gently

for up to 3 hours.

• Remove from the oven and mix

in the vinegar. Serve hot with

boiled potatoes.

Beef hotpot

serves 4

ingredients

• Preheat the oven to 170°C/

900g/2lb rump steak, cubed

325°F/Gas mark 3.

350g/12oz carrots,

• Arrange a layer of beef in a

thickly sliced

casserole dish. Sprinkle over a little

2 onions, thickly sliced

salt and pepper, then top with a

700g/11⁄2lb potatoes,

layer of carrots, onions and

thickly sliced

potatoes. Pour in the stock.

500ml/18fl oz beef stock

• Cover and bake for 2–21⁄2 hours

salt and freshly ground

until the meat is tender. Increase

black pepper

the oven temperature to 200°C/

400°F/Gas mark 6, and cook for

another 30 minutes or until

potatoes are brown. Serve hot.

One-pot beef dinner

serves 6

ingredients

• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

medium-high heat. Reduce the heat

1 small onion, chopped

to medium once the oil is hot. Add

1 large egg, lightly beaten

the onion to the pan, and sweat

450g/1lb minced beef

until soft.

50g/2oz plain breadcrumbs

• In a large bowl, mix the egg, beef,

11⁄2 teaspoons onion powder

50ml/2fl oz water, breadcrumbs,

11⁄2 teaspoons garlic salt

onion powder and garlic salt. Press

4 medium potatoes, sliced

the meat into the bottom of the

450g/1lb frozen carrots

bowl to form a rounded loaf. Invert

the bowl to remove, and put the

loaf on top of the onion. Put the

sliced potatoes around the loaf and

the carrots on top of the potatoes.

• Sprinkle with additional seasonings

if desired. Cover and cook for

about 1 hour. After 30 minutes,

turn the meatloaf over and stir the

vegetables. Serve hot.

Green chilli & meat stew

serves 5

ingredients

• Cover the meat with water in a

21⁄2lb stewing beef, cubed

large heavy pan, bring to the boil

1.2 litres/2pt water

and simmer gently for 4 hours.

100g/4oz fresh green chillies,

• Add the chillies and garlic powder

roasted, peeled, seeded

Season with salt and pepper.

and chopped

• Dissolve the cornflour in

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons water to form a paste,

1 teaspoon cornflour

and stir in rapidly. When the

salt and freshly ground

mixture has thickened, simmer for

black pepper

about 45 minutes. Serve hot.

One-pot spaghetti

serves 2

ingredients

• Crumble the beef into a

100g/4oz minced beef

microwave-proof casserole dish

1 tablespoon chopped onion

and add the onion.

225g/8oz tomato sauce

• Microwave on High for 21⁄2 minutes

75g/3oz spaghetti

or until no longer pink, stirring

100g/4oz Parmesan cheese,

once. Drain and stir to break the

freshly grated

meat into smaller pieces. Add the

tomato sauce, 400ml/14fl oz

water and spaghetti.

• Cover with the casserole lid.

Microwave for 10–11 minutes until

the spaghetti is al dente, stirring

twice. Serve hot with the Parmesan

sprinkled over the top.

Mexican nacho casserole

serves 4

ingredients

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/

450g/1lb minced beef

400°F/Gas mark 6.

1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs

• Cook the minced beef and herbs in

100g/4oz canned refried beans

a frying pan, mixing well and

50g/2oz onions, chopped

stirring to break up any lumps.

200g/7oz nacho chips

• Spread the refried beans in the

1 green pepper, seeded

bottom of a medium casserole dish,

and diced

then sprinkle with the onions. Layer

100g/4oz Cheddar

the meat over the beans. Bake in

cheese, grated

the oven for 15 minutes.

• Tuck the nacho chips around the

edges of the casserole, then top

with the pepper and cheese, and

bake for a further 5 minutes.

Serve immediately.