I can go into Sainsbury’s and pick up four chicken breasts for £6. Not the extra special ones, not the organic ones, just the standard ones. My alternative is to go to the farmer’s market and pick up two whole chickens for £10. These are free range chickens and I would still get four chicken breasts but I would also get four drumsticks, four wings, four thighs and two carcasses for making beautiful stock with. It’s a no brainer really.
Beef, Vegetable and Red Wine stew
Ingredients
What you will need (for four to six portions):
- Braising steak (at least 500-750g)
- Seasoned flour
- Vegetables of your choice – carrots, swede, onions, leeks, pasnips – a few good handfuls of each
- Potatoes – 4-6 medium
- Red wine (1 small glass)
- Stock (750ml)
- Oil and seasoning
Method
Cut up the steaks and roll them in seasoned flour. Fry them in a pan that you can also then put in the oven. Keep all the goodness in one place. I am not fortunate to own one of these modern day contraptions.
Get chopping! It’s not that bad once you get going and you get lots of goodies to go straight into the compost bin. It’s true when they say you don’t get something for nothing.
Into my cauldron of lusciousness I added a healthy (large) glass of red wine, a stock cube (I know, I’m sorry) and some water. I threw in a bay leaf for good measure and a load of seasoning. I find when I think I’ve seasoned enough, I season some more.
Lamb Neck Stew
This was so easy and really what you need when you want warming comfort food.
Ingredients
What you will need, to feed four:
2 lamb neck chops, cut in half
Plain flour
Olive oil
3 onions, peeled and cut into wedges
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into four or six depending on the size
6 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
Fresh rosemary
6-8 small potatoes, cut in half
Stock – I used vegetable
Method
Firstly, when I bought my lamb neck it turned out that getting British lamb from the meat counter was cheaper than pre-packed New Zealand lamb. No bad thing. I did try to trim as much fat and gristle off as I could but that’s just personal preference.