Warm things up with these sure-fire crowd-pleasers – you can’t go wrong with a classic French casserole.
Normandy pork (serves 4)
– 4 medium pork loin chops
– 2 oz butter
– 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
– 1 large onion, cut into rings
– 1 clove garlic, crushed
– 1 medium cooking apple
– 1 large green apple
– 275 ml dry cider
– 3 tbsp double cream
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Sear the pork chops in half the butter in a saucepan. Sprinkle with thyme and transfer to a casserole dish. Add the remaining butter to the saucepan and fry the onion and garlic. Core the apples and cut them into thick rings, leaving the peel on. Fry for a few seconds with the onion and garlic mixture, and transfer to the casserole. Spoon off any fat left in the saucepan and pour in the cider. Bring it up to a simmer, season and then add to the casserole. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Pour in the cream and serve with a lightly cooked green vegetable.
Beef Bourguignon (serves 6)
– 2 lb chuck steak, 2-inch squares
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– 1 medium onion, sliced
– 1 tbsp flour
– 425 ml red Burgundy
– 2 cloves garlic, chopped
– 2 sprigs fresh thyme
– 1 bay leaf
– 12 oz button onions
– 8 oz streaky bacon, cubed
– 4 oz dark flat mushrooms
Preheat the oven to 140°C. Cut the beef into 2-inch squares, and sear them in 2 tablespoons of oil. Remove from the casserole, then fry the sliced onion until brown. Return the meat to the casserole and add the flour, stirring well. Gradually add the Burgundy, stirring all the time. Season, add the garlic and herbs, and put the lid on. Cook for 2 hours. Fry the button onions and bacon in the remaining oil. Add them to the casserole, together with the mushrooms. Cook for 1 hour with the lid on. Serve with creamed potatoes or brown rice.
Chicken in a pot (serves 4)
– 3½ lb chicken, whole
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– 1 clove garlic, crushed
– 12 button onions
– 8 oz streaky bacon, diced
– 4 medium carrots, chopped
– 4 small turnips, quartered
– 2.75 ml dry white wine
– 425 ml chicken stock
– Small bunch parsley stalks
– 2 sprigs fresh thyme
– 1 bay leaf
– 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Sear the whole chicken in the oil. Remove from the casserole and then fry the garlic, onions and bacon. Remove from the casserole, then fry the carrots and turnips. Push the vegetables to the sides with the garlic, onions and bacon, and sit the chicken in the centre. Pour in the wine, stock and herbs, season and simmer. Cook for 30 minutes with a piece of foil over the chicken breast and the lid off. Add the mushrooms, remove the foil and cook for 30 minutes more, basting frequently. Remove the chicken and vegetables from the pot and discard the herbs. Boil the remaining liquid until reduced by a third. Whisk in a flour and butter paste (1 tablespoon plain flour, 1 tablespoon butter) until the sauce thickens. Carve and serve the chicken with the vegetables and the sauce poured over.
Tags: beef bourguignon, chicken in a pot, french casserole, normandy pork
