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[jj]

Chinese Chicken


Ingredients :
4 chicken breasts
300g noodles
1 teasthingy sesame oil
3 tablesthingy peanut butter
2 table sthingy cold tea
2 tablesthingy soy sauce
2 tablesthingy vinegar
2 teasthingy sugar
1/2 teasthingy salt
3 tablesthingys chopped onion
1 tablesthingy chopped garlic
1 teasthingy fresh chilli
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup coriander


Recipe :
Bring 6 cups of water to the boil in a saucepan, add the chicken and boil for 10 of 15 minutes.
Leave to cool and cut into strips.
Keep the water you boiled the chicken in to one side, bring to the boil again and use to cook the noodles for 7 minutes.
Strain noodles and mix with sesame oil.
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients thoroughly, apart from the onion and garlic.
Fry onions and garlic in a little oil, then add a teasthingy of sauce.
Serve the chicken and sauce together with the onion and garlic in a bowl, keeping back half of the sauce for the table.

[jj]

Pork in Satay Sauce


Ingredients :

600g pork fillet
1 medium onion
3 teasthingy mixed spice (fresh grated ginger, chopped chilli, cumin powder, coriander seeds and sugar)
100ml coconut milk
1 tablesthingy soy sauce

Satay Sauce:

150g salted peanuts
5 tablesthingy coconut milk
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablesthingy soy sauce
1 teasthingy turmeric
1 tablesthingy chopped coriander


Recipe :

Cut the pork into strips.
Peel and chop the onion.
Add the spices, coconut milk and soy sauce to the onion and put in a large bowl.
Put the meat in the marinade, cover and leave for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Making the sauce :

Mix the peanuts, coconut milk, orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce and turmeric together in a bowl.
Stir thoroughly.
Add coriander.

Grill the pork strip for 20 minutes, then serve with satay sauce and basmati rice or noodles.



Advice :
Try replacing the coconut milk with soya milk as an alternative.

[jj]

Prawns with Orange and Coriander,


Ingredients :



500g large prawns, fresh or frozen
1 tablesthingy peanut oil
1 tablesthingy extra virgin olive oil
Salt & black pepper
2 tablesthingys organic orange zest, finely chopped
2 teasthingys sesame oil
3 tablesthingys fresh coriander, finely chopped

Marinade:
1 tablesthingy sesame oil
Salt & black pepper

Recipe :

1.Defrost prawns if using frozen. Prepare, removing spinal cord with tip of a knife.
2.Wash prawns, strain and dry carefully with kitchen paper. Mix marinade ingredients together in large bowl, add prawns, stir well and chill for 15 minutes.
3.Chop orange zest finely.
4.Chop coriander finely.
5.Remove prawns from marinade.
6.Heat wok until very hot, then add oil.
7.Once wok is smoking, add prawns and salt, then pepper and orange zest.
8.Saute, stirring regularly, until prawns are pink.
9.Add sesame oil, stirring vigorously two or three times, then continue cooking for 3 minutes.
10.Finely, add chopped coriander.
11.Stir for a minute.
12.Serve immediately with noodles or rice.

[The March Hare]

Victoria Sandwich Sponge Cake

“The first Victoria sponge is one of those classic culinary landmark events which should prove a triumph and lead to greater things,” says Tamasin Day-Lewis in her new cookbook, Tamasin’s Kitchen Bible

There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of assembling the double-decker sponge, golden, light, and buttery, smoothing on the best seeded strawberry or raspberry jam, adding fresh fruit and thick – whipped cream if you will – then closing the top lid of sponge upon it until the scarlet stickiness just squishes out. Add a dusting of unrefined icing sugar and the world is definitely a better place.
Ingredients
110g (4oz) unsalted butter
110g (4oz) unrefined caster sugar
2 eggs
110g (4oz) self raising flour, sifted
Water
2 tablesthingy jam, the best, whatever flavour you like, damson, raspberry, loganberry, strawberry or apricot
Unrefined icing sugar for dusting

Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Grease 2 x 15cm/6in sandwich tins, non-stick if possible, with a butter paper. Line the bottom of each with a circle of non-stick baking parchment to fit the base and grease that with the butter.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Best the eggs together in a bowl and gradually beat them into the creamed mixture a little at a time, adding a tablesthingy of sifted flour if the mixture begins to curdle.

Lightly and swiftly fold in the flour with a metal sthingy, adding a little water to bring the mixture to a soft dropping consistency. Scrape the mixture into the two tins immediately and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen, golden and feel spongy when touched with a fingertip. Let the cakes cool for about 5 minutes before turning them out on to a wire rack and peeling away the greased paper. Invert them so they cool right side up. Cool completely.

Using a palette knife, spread the jam over the top of the sponge that is going to be your bottom layer. Add some freshly sliced strawberries or whole raspberries if you feel like it and they are in season. Or whisk some Jersey or double cream, a small carton will do, until slackly stiffened and spread that over the jam.

Place the top sponge on the jammy sponge and sieve over a little unrefined icing sugar, a restrained amount!

[The March Hare]

Divine Chocolate Fudge Wedges

This easy baked recipe is made with a digestive biscuit base topped with a mixture of light Muscovado sugar, cocoa powder, flour and milk.

Place the wedges onto serving plates, then zig-zag the chocolate over the flan and the plate and sprinkle with a little Divine cocoa powder. A few raspberries and mint leaves complete the picture.

Melt 50g (2oz) of the butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the crushed digestive biscuits. Tip them into a 20cm (8inch) flan tin or dish and press them evenly over the base. Chill for about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the remaining butter with the sugar until smooth and creamy. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in with a metal sthingy. Stir in the milk, then spread the mixture over the biscuit base. Bake for 35-40 minutes until firm. Allow to cool.

Melt the white chocolate in a small bowl placed over a pan of gently simmering water. Using a teasthingy, drizzle the chocolate over the surface of the flan. Cut into wedges and serve

[The March Hare]

Sweet Lamb Pie

Using a recipe dating back to Henry VII’s reign, this dish combines sweet, fruity flavours with succulent lamb resulting in a truly scrumptious meal

Cooking time: 2 hours
Oven temperature: gas mark 3, 170°C, 325°F

Ingredients
(Serves 4-6)
450g (1lb) lean boneless lamb shoulder, leg or neck fillet, cut into 2.5cm (1inch) cubes
Salt and pepper
15ml (1tablesthingy) sunflower oil
1 cooking apple, peeled and grated
50g (2oz) currants
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of ½ lemon
50g (2oz) ground almonds
2.5ml (½teasthingy) ground cinnamon
2.5ml (½teasthingy) ground mace
600ml (1pint) hot, good lamb stock
For the suet pastry:
300g (10oz) self-raising flour
150g (5oz) light suet
Pinch salt
175ml (6fl oz) cold water

Method
Place the meat in a large bowl and season well.

Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the meat in batches for 4-5 minutes. Transfer it to a clean bowl and add the remaining pie ingredients except the stock.

Sthingy into a 900ml (1½pint) ovenproof pie dish or 4 small ovenproof pie dishes and pour over the stock evenly.

To prepare the suet pastry, mix together the pastry ingredients in a large bowl. Then roll out enough pastry to cover the large dish or individual pie dishes.

Brush the pie dish edges with a little water and top with the pastry. Lightly cover it with foil and cook in a preheated oven for 2 hours.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking remove the foil and return to the oven to brown the pastry.

Serve with seasonal vegetables

[jj]

South Seas Steak

This delicious steak recipe is glazed with a Carribean-inspired sauce that includes pineapple preserves and Caribbean jerk seasoning.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup pineapple preserves
• 1/4 cup teriyaki baste and glaze sauce
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• dash white pepper
• 4 beef T-bone or Porterhouse steaks
• 1 Tbsp. Caribbean jerk seasoning

PREPARATION:

Prepare and preheat grill. In small saucepan, combine preserves, teriyaki glaze and lime juice and cook over low heat until melted and combined, stirring frequently.
When ready to grill, rub steak with jerk seasoning.

Place on grill over medium heat 4-6" from coals. Cook for 12-18 minutes, turning once or twice and brushing with glaze during last 2 minutes of cooking time. Bring any remaining glaze to a rolling boil, boil for 2 minutes, and serve with steaks. 4 servings

[jj]

Chicken with asparagus sauce

Serves 1


Preparation time less than 30 mins
Cooking time 10 to 30 mins


.


Ingredients

3 asparagus spears
knob of butter
1 chicken breast
1 tbsp fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped
For the sauce
1 tbsp white wine
3 tbsp double cream
2-3 asparagus, blanched and chopped
1-2 tbsp fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
2. Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and blanch the asparagus spears for 2-3 minutes. Drain the asparagus, reserving some of the water to make the sauce.
3. Gently melt the butter in a non-stick pan.
4. Using a sharp knife, make a slit in the chicken breast and enclose the three spears of cooked asparagus. Wrap the chicken back up, securing with a thingytail stick if necessary.
5. Pan-fry the chicken breast for two minutes each side to seal.
6. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Sprinkle the chicken with parsley towards the end of cooking.
7. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, reduce two tablesthingys of reserved water from the asparagus with the white wine and cream for a few minutes.
8. Stir in the chopped asparagus and parsley and heat for a further 1-2 minutes. Season to taste.
9. Remove the chicken from the oven and slice. Transfer to a serving plate and pour the sauce over to serve.

[jj]

Jamaican Curried Chicken

1 whole chicken, about 3 to 4 pounds
Juice of 2 fresh limes
3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 1/2 tablesthingys curry powder
1/4 teasthingy allspice
1 teasthingy sugar
2 teasthingys salt
2 tablesthingys vegetable oil
2 cups water
3 medium potatoes, washed and cubed
Suggested Accompaniments:
Mango Chutney
Slices of dried coconut
Fresh pineapple chunks
Orange segments
Ripe bananas


1.Cut chicken in 1 1/2 to 2-inch serving pieces. Squeeze the juice of the limes into a large bowl of water; wash the chicken pieces in the water and drain.
2.In small bowl mix the garlic, green onions and ginger; allow flavors to blend for 30 minutes.
3.Mix curry powder and allspice with sugar and salt. Rub spice mixture and the garlic mixture onto the chicken. Place in a glass bowl; cover and allow to "marinate" for 1 hour.
4.In large heavy skillet, brown chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat. Add the water and potatoes. As soon as liquid starts to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Chicken should be tender and juices run clear.
5.Dress up curried chicken with accompaniments served with flair. The usual accompaniment is Mango Chutney, but slices of dried coconut, pineapple chunks, orange segments, ripe bananas, will do.
Serves 4.

[The March Hare]

Pork Korma Chapatti

Made with tender lean pork fillet, baby spinach and fresh coriander, served in a chapatti, this dish is perfect for eating on the sofa and is guaranteed to be a winner with all the family

Cooking time: around 10 minutes

Ingredients
(Serves 2)
225g (8oz) lean pork fillet
15ml (1tbsp) Korma mild curry paste
15ml (1tbsp) crème frâiche
50g (2oz) baby spinach
30ml (2tbsp) fresh coriander, torn
Chapattis
Mango chutney

Method
Cut the lean pork fillet into thin slices or strips and dry fry in a hot non-stick wok for 5-6 minutes.

Add the Korma mild curry paste and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the crème fraiche, baby spinach and fresh coriander leaves.

Pile into warmed chapattis, roll up and serve with a dollop of mango chutney

[The March Hare]

Cherry Brownies

A luscious offering from Green & Black’s Chocolate Recipes – but chocoholics beware, these are just too good to miss

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Use: 1 baking or roasting tin 34 x 25cm (13 x 10in) and at least 6cm (2 ¼ in deep)

Ingredients
(Makes 28 brownies)
300g (11oz) unsalted butter
300g (10 ½ oz) Green & Black’s 72% Cooks’ Chocolate, broken into pieces
5 large eggs
450g (1lb) granulated sugar
1 tablesthingy vanilla extract
200g (7oz) plain flour
1 teasthingy salt
250g (9oz) dried cherries
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas mark 4. Line the baking tin with greaseproof paper or baking parchment.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl suspended over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together in a bowl until the mixture is thick and creamy and coats the back of a sthingy.

Once the butter and the chocolate have melted, remove from the heat and beat in the egg mixture. Sift the flower and salt together, then add them to the mixture, and continue to beat until smooth. Stir in the dried cherries.

Pour into the roasting tin, ensuring the mixture is evenly distributed in the tin. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the whole of the top has formed a light brown crust that has started to crack. This giant brownie should not wobble, but should remain gooey on the inside.

Leave to cool for about 20 minutes before cutting into large squares while still in the pan. The greaseproof paper or baking parchment should peel off easily

[The March Hare]

Fish Pie

A time-honoured favourite from Trish Hilferty’s Lobster & Chips – a delightfully cosy dish

“I always think,” says Trish Hilferty, “of fish pie as the classic ‘English bistro’ dish. Simple, comforting and hugely popular, it’s the perfect meal for getting non-fish eaters into eating fish, and that probably comes down to the creamy mashed potato topping.
“The fish pie I prefer is a fairly basic one – not crammed full of random little pieces of fish, just the one type and preferably cod or pollock.
“Having said that, I do sometimes add a few prawns if I have them to hand. And the pie needs to be creamy, so try to have your sauce at the consistency where it will just coat the filling, then it will be well flavoured and you won’t have the fish swimming around in a sea of juice.”

Ingredients
(Serves 4)
600ml (2.5 cups) milk, plus a little extra for the mash
100ml (scant 1/2 cup) double cream
800g (1lb 12oz) cod (or pollock) fillet
1 bay leaf
6 free-range eggs
100g (7 tablesthingys) unsalted butter
50g (1/3 cup) plain flour
A small bunch of parsley, chopped
1.3kg (3lb) floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Pour the milk and cream into a large pan, add the fish and the bay leaf and bring just to the boil. Simmer for 8 minutes, then strain the liquid into a jug and keep warm. Lift the fish out of the pan and leave it to drain on a plate. When it is cool enough to handle, flake the flesh into large chunks and discard the skin and bones.

Boil the eggs for 8 minutes, then drain and cool under cold running water. Peel and cut into thick slices, then set aside.

Melt half the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Cook gently for 1 minute and then take off the heat. Gradually mix in the warm fishy milk, stirring all the time so it doesn’t become lumpy. Return the pan to the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the fish, eggs and chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Cook the potatoes in plenty of boiling salted water until tender, then drain well. Mash with the rest of the butter and a little milk to make a smooth and easily spreadable topping. Season to taste.

Pour the fish mixture into a baking dish and cover with the mashed potatoes. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until bubbling hot and golden brown.

[The March Hare]

Lobster and Chips

The title dish from Trish Hilferty’s new Lobster & Chips – a delicious combination of shellfish and potatoes

“Here is the dish that inspired the whole book. I’ve always thought,” says Trish Hilferty, “this was the perfect marriage, as I love the idea of the most exclusive of shellfish partnered with the humble spud.
“It got me thinking about the numerous combinations of fish and potatoes and just how wonderfully they can be brought together.
“To my mind, the best way to eat lobster is to keep it as simple as possible. I have a purist outlook and don’t like it to be mucked about, so no creamy sauces or overpowering dressings, please.

“Simply poached with mayonnaise or grilled with herb butter, lobster is unbeatable with chips and a green salad.

“The ideal cooking liquid for lobsters is seawater; second best is heavily salted tap water – 40g (2 tablesthingys) of salt to 1 litre (4 cups) of water. Make sure you have your largest pot and never use less than 5 litres (5 quarts) of water. The lobsters need to be completely immersed and the water temperature maintained.”

Ingredients
(Serves 4)
5 litres (5 quarts) water
200g (3/4 cup) sea salt
2 lobsters, weighing about 800g (1 3/4 pounds) each

To serve
Chips
Mayonnaise

Method
Put the water and salt in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Plunge the lobsters, head first, into the water and cover the pot to bring it back to the boil quickly. Simmer the lobsters uncovered for 8 minutes per 500g (1lb 2oz) plus 5 minutes – so 800g (1lb 12oz) lobsters will take about 12 minutes. Start timing from when the water returns to the boil.

When the lobsters are done, lift them from the water and leave until cool enough to handle. Place on a chopping board and cut through the middle of the head with a large, heavy knife, bringing it down between the eyes.

Turn the lobster around and then cut right through the middle of the tail to split it in half. Crack open the claws with the back of the knife, using the heavy end near the handle. Remove the intestinal thread running through the back of the lobster and the bony sac inside the head.

Put a lobster half on each plate and serve with chips and mayonnaise on the side

[The March Hare]

Pulpo a Galega

A delicious Spanish offering from Trish Hilferty’s new book, Lobster & Chips

“This is a little different from the dish found in bars and restaurants throughout Spain. Pulpo a Galega,” says Trish Hilferty, “is usually steamed discs of octopus, sprinkled with lemon juice and paprika and served on a wooden board – usually as a simple starter or on a bar alongside an array of tapas.

“I’ve always loved the flavours of this dish, sweet, sour and smoky, so I’ve turned it into a big salad, with tomatoes, potatoes and lots of fresh parsley. It makes a substantial lunch.”
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
2 or 3 medium octopus, about 500g (1lb 2oz) each
50ml (3.5 tablesthingys) extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g (1lb 2oz) waxy new potatoes, scrubbed
6 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced lengthways into quarters
1 red onion, finely sliced
100g (2/3 cup) black olives
A small bunch of parsley, leaves picked but with a little of the stalk left intact

For the dressing
2 teasthingys smoked sweet paprika
4 tablesthingys lemon juice
1 teasthingy sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
200ml (scant 1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil

Method
To clean the octopus, use a sharp knife to cut the tentacles away from the head just under the shell-like beak, then put them in a bowl of salted water. Rub them vigorously; the salt will help dislodge any sand caught in the suckers. Turn the body inside out, remove and discard all the internal organs and wash under cold running water.

Some cooks advocate skinning the octopus but I think the skin adds flavour and texture. Slice the body and tentacles into 1cm (1/2 inch) strips. You could ask your fishmonger to do all this, if you prefer.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and octopus and stir over a high heat for a minute to seal. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and cook gently for about 1.5 hours, until the octopus is tender. It will sweat in its own liquid. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little in the pan.

While the octopus is cooking, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, then drain and keep warm. Make the dressing by whisking together the paprika, lemon juice, salt and a grinding of pepper in a large bowl, then gradually whisking in the olive oil.

Cut the potatoes in half and add them to the dressing. Drain the octopus, reserving a couple of tablesthingys of the cooking liquor, and add it to the bowl of potatoes with the reserved liquor. Mix in the tomatoes, onion and olives, then toss with the parsley. Serve with lots of crusty fresh bread

[jj]

Irish Baked Parsnips

2 1/2 pounds parsnips
3 tablesthingys stock (any flavor desired)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch nutmeg
1/4 cup butter or bacon fat

1.Peel parsnips, quarter, and remove any woody core. Place in a saucepan, cover with water; bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain well.
2.Place parboiled parsnips in an ovenproof dish. Add stock and sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Dot with butter or bacon fat and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes on a low shelf in a 350*F (175*C) oven.
Serves 6 to 8.

[jj]

Dublin Sunday Corned Beef & Cabbage

5 pound corned beef brisket
1 large onion stuck with 6 whole cloves
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 teasthingy dried thyme
1 small bunch parsley
1 (2-pound) cabbage, cut in quarters and cored
Horseradish Sauce (recipe follows)

1.Put beef in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add all other ingredients except cabbage and bring to a boil with the lid off the pot. Turn to simmer and cook for 3 hours. Skim fat from top as it rises.
2.Remove the thyme, parsley and onion. Add cabbage. Simmer for 20 minutes until cabbage is cooked.
3.Remove the meat and cut into pieces. Place on center of a large platter. Strain the cabbage and season it heavily with black pepper. Surround the beef with the cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Serve with horseradish sauce.
Horseradish Sauce

1/2 pint heavy cream
2 to 3 tablesthingys prepared horseradish
1.Whip cream until it stand in peaks. Fold in horseradish.
Serves 8.

[jj]

Curach

(Irish Honey-and-Oatmeal Cream)
1/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal, uncooked
1 cup heavy cream
2 teasthingys honey
3 tablesthingys Irish whiskey
12 ounces fresh raspberries

1.Toast the oatmeal on a baking sheet in a 350*F (175*C) oven, watch carefully and stir it from time to time, until it turns a pale golden color.Cool completely.

2.Whip the cream until it holds its shape, stir in the honey and whiskey,then the cold toasted oatmeal.

3.Layer the raspberries and the cream mixture in the glasses, saving a few of the berries for decoration on top.
Serve slightly cool.
Makes 4 servings.

[jj]

Dublin Coddle

1 pound of pork sausages
1 pound of rashers of bacon (sliced)
1 large or 2 medium onions, sliced
5 carrots
5 medium potatoes (the non floury type is best)
1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
Pince (pinch) of mixed herbs
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.Peel and half the potatoes. Scrub the carrots and cut them into coins. Put the meat and vegetables into a large pot and cover with water.
2.Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 hour, until the meat is cooked and the vegetables are tender. Add the stock cubes, herbs and the salt and pepper.
3.Continue simmering for another 15 minutes to allow the flavours to combine. Serve with crusty bread or rolls.
Makes 5 to 6 servings.

[jj]

County Cork Irish Stew

8 lamb chops
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablesthingy vegetable oil
1 Bouquet Garni*
1 pound potatoes, (3 to 4 medium)
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large leek white, thinly sliced
12 small white onions
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

1.Season chops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in saucepan wide enough to hold all chops in a single layer. Brown on both sides. Sthingy off fat and add enough water to cover chops. Bring to a boil and add the Bouquet Garni. Lower heat and simmer.
2.Meanwhile, peel potatoes and shape into bite sized rounds. Chop trimmings from potatoes into small pieces. Add potatoes, trimmings, cabbage, onion, well-rinsed leek, white onions and celery to chops and liquid. Simmer 20 minutes and then add peas. Add a little more water if needed during cooking. Simmer 10 minutes more or until potatoes are tender. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.

[The March Hare]

Shepherd’s Pie

This simple favourite is a foundation dish to any cook’s repertoire – a couple of dollops will warm you right down to your toes

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: Approximately 1 hour

Oven temperature: Gas mark 4-5, 180-190°C, 350-375°F
Ingredients
(Serves 6)
675g (1½lb) lean minced lamb
15ml (1 tablesthingy) sunflower oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
100g (4oz) green peas
30ml (2 tablesthingys) plain flour
30ml (2 tablesthingys) tomato ketchup
30ml (2 tablesthingys) brown sauce
30ml (2 tablesthingys) freshly chopped rosemary
1 lamb stock cube, crumbled
300-425ml (½-¾pint) hot, good lamb or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper

For the topping
675g (1½lb) floury potatoes, peeled and cut into medium chunks
450g (1lb) swede, peeled and cut into small chunks
100ml (3½floz) milk or single cream
50g (2oz) butter
30-45ml (2-3 tablesthingys) freshly chopped parsley or chives

Method
Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and carrot until soft but not coloured.

Agalinks tip
Try any vegetable combination in the topping. Or why not stir 50g (2oz) grated cheese into the mash.

Add the mince in batches and cook for 5 minutes, on a moderate heat, until brown – turning frequently and mashing any large lumps with the back of a wooden sthingy. Remove and discard half of the oil. Stir in the peas.

Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the ketchup, brown sauce, rosemary, lamb stock cube and lamb stock. Season. Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the potato and swede topping. Place the potatoes and swede in a large saucepan with boiling water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Drain and mash the potatoes and swede together with the milk or cream and butter. Season, if required, and stir in the parsley or chives.

Sthingy the meat mixture into a 1.7L (3pint) ovenproof dish and spread the potato mixture on top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the top is brown