‘Tis the season for staying indoors and enjoying hearty home-cooked meals with family and friends. Le Creuset have given us three delicious recipes for dishes that everyone will love!
Slow-cooked venison casserole
To freeze: cool, pack and freeze at the end of step 3.
To use: thaw overnight at room temperature and return to the casserole with 150ml (¼
pint) of stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20mins or until piping hot.
Ingredients
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 750g (1½lbs) shoulder venison, cut into larger than bite-size pieces
• 225g (8oz) shallots, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 160g pack cubed pancetta or chopped streaky bacon
• 125g (4oz) small shitake mushrooms
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 4 tbsp Blackcurrant Conserve
• 300ml (½pint) ale
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 300ml (½pint) stock
• 2 tbsp Soya sauce
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C (gas mark 3). Heat the olive oil in a large, ovenproof casserole and brown the venison, a few pieces at a time. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Put the shallots, garlic, pancetta and mushrooms in the pan and fry, stirring, until golden brown. Stir in the thyme and flour.
3. Return the venison with all the remaining ingredients and bring slowly to the boil. Cover and simmer very gently for 2½ -3hrs or until meltingly tender.
4. Serve with creamy mash, braised carrots and some steamed tender-stem broccoli.
Seafood stew
Seafood stew with tomato, fennel and garlic
Ingredients
- Tbsp. olive oil
- 200g fennel, sliced
- 200g leeks, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 400g chopped peeled tomatoes
- 400g chopped peeled cherry tomatoes
- 1 tsp saffron threads
- 250ml water or seafood stock
- 600g firm white fish, kingklip, cut into large pieces
- Salt and pepper to season
- 300g whole prawns, cleaned
- 350g fresh uncooked mussels, rinsed well as they are salty and gritty
- 200ml white wine
Method
1.In the oval casserole dish, sauté the fennel in 1 Tbsp. olive oil until lightly golden and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add the leeks and sauté until softened, add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add the tins of tomatoes, saffron and liquid and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 200°c.
5. Pat the fish dry and season on both sides.
6. Place a separate pan on a high heat and cook the fish in 1 Tbsp. olive oil for 5 minutes, turning once. Set aside. Then cook the prawns in the same pan until they turn pink, do not overcook them as they will become tough. Set the prawns aside, do not wipe the pan clean.
7. Place that pan on a high heat and when it is very hot quickly add the mussels and wine and cover with a lid. Steam the mussels for 10mins or until their shells have all opened and are they are cooked through.
8. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
9. Drain the mussels, keeping the liquid and add this to the tomato sauce. This mussel broth will add great flavour to the dish. Season to taste
10. Add the fish, prawns and mussels to the tomato stew, mix well then cover with a lid and cook in a preheated oven for 15 minutes to allow all the flavours to combine and develop further.
11. Scatter with parsley and lemon wedges.
Chargrilled steak
Chargrilled steak with a fresh herb salsa, roast potatoes and grilled asparagus
Ingredients
- 5 potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 750ml vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 10g parsley
- 10g rosemary
- 10g thyme
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- Salt and pepper to season
- 4 sirloin steaks
- 200g asparagus tips
Method
1. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water, bring to the boil and then simmer until cooked through. Drain the potatoes and allow to cool slightly. Using a fork score the potatoes all over to create a rough surface, this creates a crunchier roast potato.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a pot and when hot place the potatoes into the oil in batches and cook until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper. They can be kept in the oven on a medium heat until needed.
3. For the herb salsa: finely chop the garlic and place in a bowl. Finely chop the herbs and add this to the garlic with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and seasoning. Stir and set aside, this is perfect spooned over lamb or beef.
4. For the steaks: place the grill over a high heat. Rub the steaks with the remaining olive oil and seasoning. Place the steaks on the grill only when it is smoking and cook to your liking, turning only once. Cover the steaks with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Place the asparagus tips on the same grill and cook for approximately 5 minutes, turning them a few times, flavoursome chargrill marks will form.
Leave a Comment