Courgette and Tomato

 Ingredients

1 large courgette cut into quarters lengthways then into similar thickness slices

3 tinned tomatoes and 4 Tbspn of their juices, chopped.

1 Tbspn tomato puree

1 garlic coarsely chopped

small red chilli, cut into quarters lengthways, deseeded and finely cut into strips

3 fresh tomatoes, cut in half then each half in thirds.

2 Tbspn oil

2 Tbspn chopped parsley

Method 

Heat oil in large pan, put in garlic and chilli, stir and cook for a minute. Then put in courgette for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally so as to not colour. Put in tinned tomato, juice and puree, turn up heat high, stirring until all moisture has reduced. Put in fresh tomato, stir, as you lower the heat, until the fresh tomato begins to soften. Stir in parsley, check seasoning and serve.

 

Big Bean Casserole

Ingredients

 400g Jonny Beans soaked over night (or dried broad beans)

110 g of speck cut into 8mm dice

2 x medium onions, carrots, celery  all cut into 5mm rings

3 cloves of garlic coarsely chopped

500g Belly Pork scored  into 40mm2

12 chicken wings

300g smoked continental sausage cut into 20mm slices

1L of chicken stock about.

3 bay leaves.

Tbspn black peppercorns, salt to taste 

Method 

Boil beans in soaking water for ten minutes, drain, rinse and reserve.

In a large pan fry off the speck until the fats run and the dice colours, draw off and put in casserole. Fry chicken wings in batches so each side takes on a good colour and pack tightly into bottom of casserole.

Lower heat and sweat off onion, carrot, celery and garlic.

Pack drained beans on top of the wings, scatter peppercorns and bay leaves.

Spreading onions, carrot, celery, garlic over top of beans.

Pour in sufficient stock to cover beans well. 

Push belly pork into mixture until the rind is only just above the water.

Cover and cook in a fan oven 180°C for 2 hours. After one hour remove cover. After a further half hour push the sausage slice into the water, check the beans are soft. 

Check seasoning and Serve.

Dinosaur Ribs

 Just have to share this one whilst it is still fresh. So one family enjoy hand food eating the meat off the bone. I decide to give them a Dinosaur Rib each. Had no idea what I was letting myself in for other than they would be about 20cm long and obviously the thin end of the rib with little meat. My preferred source, Great Berwick with their Longhorn cattle, were able to supply. Came the day, they arrived and wow they were huge.

Looked online for guidance, nearly all were USofA inspired and aimed at BBQ but all with conflicting treatment and most of all timings. I knew that they would have to be slow cooked. Picking my way between them I went with an overnight marinade. Tbspn Smoked Paprika, dstspn dried Oregano, tspn ground cumin, dstspn ground Sichuan pepper (cos I had it), salt and about 4Tspn of oil. Rubbed well into meat sides, covered and left. smelt good.

I hummed and hawed over cooking times and the 7hrs at 130degreesC seemed excessive compared to what I had been looking at. Settled for 5hrs with a check after 4hrs leaving myself a margin. Pairs of ribs were wrapped and sealed into foil, the best way I could manage them, then pooed into the oven. Even then spacing was tight and a corner of foil caught on the racking as it went in.

Impatiently waited for the four hours, so tempted to have a peek. At 4hrs it was clear they were not going to be done, so PlanB, turned it up to 150degreesC and settled for another hour and half. Took them out after 5.5hrs. The torn foil allowed the plentiful juices to flood out, what a mess. Arranged them on a tray and brushed their meat surfaces with Grape Syrup, which I happened to have, a less aggressive basting than all the BBQ sauces online raved about. Popped them under a high grill for a few moments.

As the dish was brought in there were eyes wide open. Tucked in with gusto and I was left with cleaned ribs, so a huge success! Chef's afterthoughts.  It was cooked, easily eatable but not a fall off the bone as I had planned for. Reckon the 7hrs at 130 would have been about right. The marinade didnt make a huge difference, the air-aged beef and being Longhorn had its over very distinctive flavour. They did throw off a lot of fat and juices. Finding a honey based glaze would be a better answer, straight out of the foil wrapping, too pale and not appealing.

Vension Shank

 Been some time since I recorded anything here. Not that I havent produced some knockout dishes, just didnt get round to recording them or as ever taking any photos. Yet another missed photo opportunity. If only I could capture the smells to share with you. So another venison, shank this time, again in the slow cooker.

•  1 shank of venison on the bone
  
• 4/5 Tbspn olive oil
• 2 large onions
• 2 good sized carrots
• 4 cloves garlic
• tspn pepper corns
• 12 juniper berries
• 150mm ish of orange peel (without pith)
• 700ml full bodied red wine
• bouquet garni - 2stlk celery+leaves, 2 bay leaves, parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary
• 8 charlotte potatoes, small left with skin on
  

Oil in skillet, get the pan really hot and sear all of the flesh on the shank to a good deep brown, place in the slow cooker. Turn down the heat, throw in the peeled thick sliced onions to sweat off, stir from time to time. Snuggle the bouquet garni, with herbs cased in the celery stalks cut in half lengthways and tied up with string, down against the shank. Peel and cut the carrots into 25mm long roundels, again snuggled down against the shank. Scatter over the coarsely chopped garlic, juniper berries peppercorns and salt to taste. When onions have softened tip in the red wine, cook briefly, stir then tip onions and wine over the shank so the onions cover the shank. Make sure carrots are under liquid.

Cover slow cooker set to low and cook for 7hrs. Around 3.5hrs turn shank onto other side, you may need to turn once more to ensure the tight ball of flesh that has shrunk up the bone gets cooking time in the liquid. Two hours before serving push the potatoes down into the liquid, remove the bouquet garni. by the seven hours you will feel that the meat has soften and easily pulls away. You will probably want to take out some of the juice, blend with flour then stir back in to thicken the richly smelling juices. Enjoy.