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No Fuss November Cooking -
With all the frenetic Christmas activities due to overtake us, I thought some unfussy, stress free recipes would be welcome.
Orange and Chestnut soup
This is one of my favourites, and is very good to serve with a richer casserole main course. I fill the soup bowls with hot water to warm them.
25g or 2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
100g mushrooms, sliced
7.5 ml or 1 ½ tsp plain flour
1 litre vegetable stock
240 g or small can peeled, cooked chestnuts
Salt and pepper
Finely grated zest of an orange
Chopped parsley to garnish
Method
This can be cooked in advance and gently reheated when needed.
1. Melt butter or marge in a large saucepan and add the onion, carrot and mushrooms. Fry gently until browned.
2. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until browned.
3. Remove from the heat and gradually add the stock, stirring continuously.
4. Add the chestnuts and seasoning.
5. Bring to the boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes
6. Puree the soup with a hand liquidiser and stir in the orange zest.
Serve in pre – warmed soup bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.
My “ beloved” who subscribes to the “slurps and handfuls” school of cooking, donated the Coq au Vin recipe. His other boast is that “scales are for wimps”! (Before the more serious/panicky cooks amongst you turn away in horror, let me reassure you that the quantities below have been calculated on a slightly more scientific basis in the brackets!).
Real Men’s Coq au Vin (no fuss) 4 people
NB 1 cup equals 250 ml. Americans frequently give recipes in cups or parts of a cup.
4 Chicken thighs
2 medium onions -
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup thawed frozen peas
1 packet lardons (125 g) (Chopped up raw bacon bits)
1 packet flaked almonds (60g)
1 tablespoon mixed herbs
2 tablespoons corn flour
1 chicken stock cube
1 bottle red wine (75cl)
Olive oil for frying
Method
You need a big ovenproof casserole with a good lid and a large frying pan
Preheat the oven to Gas 4/ 350°F/180°C/ fan assisted 160°C
1.Fry the chicken bits in olive oil for 5 minutes a side to brown them, and then put them into the casserole.
2. Fry the lardons for a few minutes and add them to the chicken.
3. Add more olive oil to the pan and fry the onions on a low heat until they are transparent.
4. Add the mushrooms to the pan and continue to fry until they are soft.
Add the onions and mushrooms and almonds to the casserole.
5. Sprinkle the corn flour into the frying pan and cook for a minute over a low heat, then crumble in the stock cube and add the herbs. Stir in the red wine, bring to the boil then simmer for two minutes while stirring.
6. Add the sauce you have just made to the casserole.
7. Put the lid on and put the casserole in the oven for 1 hour.
8. Take the casserole out and add more water or pre-
Serve with Dauphinois Potatoes or sautéed potatoes. (AND a green salad for the more health conscious amongst us!)
Sara Dobson proposes her recipes for November
Food for Real Men
Coq au Vin
With a side order of Gratin Dauphinois -
Click here to download this recipe
Click here to download this recipe
Ian Blackshaw’s Wine Suggestion
The wine I would recommend with Coq au Vin is a hearty red from the same region -