Category Archives: Soups and stews

Beef, Irish food, Potatoes, Soups and stews

Beef and Guinness Stew with Champ

In Ireland, it’s easy to take the top-quality food for granted. We have butter that’s a creamy yellow, the way it should be; bread that’s baked fresh every day and delivered to the stores first thing in the morning; brown eggs that are so fresh they’re often not even refrigerated in the grocery store; lamb that’s world famous; and grass-fed beef.

I didn’t appreciate how special the beef in particular is until I read Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food recently, in which he says that 100% grass-fed beef commands premium prices in America (and indeed, a recent article in The Village Voice said a 1‑lb grass-fed, local steak set them back $26 compared to $9.99 for a typical feedlot steak of the same weight). Yet in Ireland, famous for the lush green grass (it’s not called the Emerald Isle for nothing), it’s just the way beef is. As I type this, I can look out my window and see my neighbor’s cattle grazing in the field just across the road. When I cook in my kitchen, I look west over a patchwork quilt of fields of potatoes, wheat, more cows and sheep too. When I take a walk with my son in my rural neighborhood, we pass another neighbor’s dairy farm, and if I walk further still, we pass the lambs that eventually wind up in the local butcher. If I walk east, I can stand at the top of our hill and see the Irish Sea about ten miles away, where small, colorful fishing boats trawl the waters. Compared to the US, where the average food item in a typical meal travels 1,500 miles to reach your plate, I feel very lucky indeed to be able to stand on my front step and practically be able to see where my milk, beef, lamb and fish come from, not to mention potatoes and various grains as well.

If you want to cook something special to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, this beef and Guinness stew with a traditional Irish champ (brúitín) is just the thing. The stew is robust and full of flavor, given the pint of plain that’s in it. The bite of the spring onions in the champ is the perfect accompaniment to the rich stew, but feel free to serve it with plain mashed potatoes instead. If you want to round this off with an Irish dessert, try these easy Baileys cream pots. But don’t limit yourself to only serving this stew on Paddy’s Day. It’s actually the best beef stew I’ve ever made.

Beef and Guinness Stew
adapted from Gourmet, October 2004

Serves 4

To make this into a one-pot meal, add some baby potatoes right into the stew along with the beef stock, Guinness and herbs instead of serving with the champ. And don’t be tempted to skip tossing the beef in the flour — the flour helps give the sauce its gorgeous, thick consistency later on. Like most stews, this one actually improves in flavor after a day, so the leftovers are even better.

2 lb (900 g) boneless beef chuck (stewing beef), cut into 1‑inch pieces
1/4 cup (30 g) flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
4 to 6 carrots, cut into 1‑inch pieces on the diagonal
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups (960 ml) beef stock or broth
approx. 2 cups (500 ml) Guinness (or another stout)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Pat the beef dry. Stir together the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the beef, turning to coat all the pieces, then shake off the excess flour and transfer to a plate.

Heat the oil in a pot over a moderately high heat, until just smoking, then brown the beef in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch (don’t crowd the pot, otherwise the beef will steam, not brown). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and carrots to the pot and saute for 10 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, stir to coat the vegetables, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the beef along with any juices accumulated in the bowl. Add in the beef stock, Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

To serve, spoon off any fat that may have risen to the top of the stew. Taste for seasoning. Spoon some champ into individual shallow bowls or plates, making a well in the center. Ladle the stew on top of the champ, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve.

***

Champ

Serves 4

If you have your own favorite recipe for mashed potatoes, just follow that and add the scallions at the end, and voilà! Now you have champ. Or you could try making colcannon, another traditional Irish potato dish and first cousin to champ.

2 lb (900 g) floury potatoes, such as Kerr’s Pink, Maris Piper or Yukon Gold
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
4 oz (110 g) butter
6 spring onions (scallions), white and green parts finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Put them in a large pot of generously salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, then drain. Return the potatoes to the pot off the heat, cover with a clean tea towel and allow to sit for 5 minutes (this helps to dry out the potatoes, resulting in a fluffier mash). Meanwhile, while the potatoes are cooking, place the milk, butter and spring onions in a saucepan over a medium heat, until the butter has melted. Mash the potatoes, then pour in the hot milk and spring onion mixture and beat with a wooden spoon until the mash is fluffy and light. Taste for seasoning and serve piping hot.

30-minute meals, Bread, Soups and stews, Vegetarian main dishes

Cauliflower Cheese Soup with Irish Beer Bread

I’ve always thought of cheese soup as a Midwestern, and particularly a Wisconsin, thing. There’s no reason for me to think that, other than that Wisconsin is known as the Dairy State and leads the nation in cheese production. UW-Madison, where Kelly and I both went to college, is also well known for often topping the polls for the highest student beer consumption (and in fact, the student union in Madison was the first college union in the country to sell beer), so I guess it’s no surprise that beer bread is what I thought of to serve with this soup.

The beer bread is surprisingly light and sweet (a little too sweet for my taste, actually; next time I’m going to try adding some salt to counteract it). It’s also so fast to make that your oven probably won’t even have finished preheating by the time you’ve got it all mixed up and ready to go. You’ll never buy an overpriced beer bread mix again after making this from scratch.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup
adapted from Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater

Serves 4 to 6

Instead of serving this soup with a bread on the side, Nigel Slater toasts 2 slices of dark rye bread, melts a little cheese on top, cuts the slices into triangles and floats them on top of the soup.

2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
3 1/2 cups (840 ml) water
2 bay leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (200 ml) crème fraîche or sour cream
1 heaped tablespoon grain mustard
1 cup (100 g) coarsely grated Gruyère, Cantal or a strong, mature Cheddar
finely chopped fresh chives, to garnish (optional)

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic and fry until soft, but don’t let them color. In a separate pot, boil the cauliflower in the water for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Add the bay leaves to the onion and garlic, then add the cauliflower and its cooking water. Bring to the boil and add salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaves and allow the soup to cool slightly. Puree the soup in two batches in a blender (or use a hand-held immersion blender right in the pot). Pour the mixture back into the pot and stir in the crème fraîche, grain mustard and grated cheese. Bring the soup slowly back to a simmer and stir just until the cheese has melted, then ladle into individual bowls, garnish with chopped chives, if using, and serve.

***

Irish Beer Bread

Makes 1 loaf

I called this Irish beer bread only because I used an Irish ale (Smithwick’s, which is pronounced Smittick’s), but you can use any beer. The stronger the beer you choose, the stronger the flavor of the bread.

2 1/2 cups (300 g) self-rising flour
1 tablespoon sugar
12 fl oz beer (350 ml), at room temperature
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter, melted (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 1‑lb loaf tin. Sift the flour and sugar into a bowl. Pour in the beer and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour into the greased loaf tin, pour the melted butter on top, if using, and bake for 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before you slice it.

Bread, Soups and stews

Sweet Potato, Rutabaga and Bacon Soup with Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

There are lots of differences between British English and American English, both big and small. There’s that whole thing about spelling things with ‑our instead of ‑or, like colour and neighbour, or using ‑re at the end of a word instead of ‑er, like centre or theatre. (Growing up in suburban Illinois, whenever we saw a strip mall calling itself a ‘shopping centre,’ we’d laugh at its pretensions.) I’ve also had to learn to say petrol instead of gas, lift instead of elevator, car park instead of parking lot and now order coffee to take away instead of to go. The differences in food names are even more pronounced: aubergine instead of eggplant, courgette instead of zucchini, mangetout instead of peas, and chips instead of fries (and crisps instead of chips). But my favorite (or should I say favourite?) is rutabaga instead of swede. I always thought the word rutabaga seemed a little ludicrous, almost like a made-up word, but it actually comes from the Swedish rotabagge, which explains why it’s also called a swede, given the word’s country of origin. Whatever you want to call it, it’s an underused vegetable, often appearing in root vegetable mashes, and it’s perfect in this cheap and cheerful soup.

Bacon corn muffins, bacon, onion and thyme bread or Irish soda bread would also work well with this soup instead of the buttermilk cheddar biscuits.

Sweet Potato, Rutabaga and Bacon Soup
adapted from Healthy 1–2‑3 by Rozanne Gold

Serves 4

I threw in a parsnip because it was looking lonely in my vegetable crisper, left over from a different dinner, and it worked perfectly well with the other flavors in the soup. A small chopped onion or a couple shallots would also be good additions.

5 slices bacon (plus extra for garnish, optional)
2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb/680 g)
1 large rutabaga (swede) (about 1 1/2 lb/680 g)
5 cups (1.2 litres) chicken or vegetable stock or water
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces. Heat a large pot. Add the bacon and fry until cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pot.

Peel the sweet potatoes and rutabaga and cut into 1/2‑inch pieces (it doesn’t have to be perfect, it will all get blended later anyway). Add to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the water, along with some salt and pepper to taste (not too much salt, though, because of the bacon). Add the cooked bacon. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Cook for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.

When the vegetables are tender, puree the soup until smooth in a blender, food processor or with a hand-held immersion blender. If the soup is too thick for your liking, simply add more stock or water until it reaches the desired consistency. Ladle the soup into bowls, then, if using, crumble the reserved cooked bacon into small pieces and scatter on top.

***

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits
adapted from Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Makes 8 biscuits

If you have any leftover biscuits, they’re delicious reheated for breakfast the next day with some scrambled eggs.

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (180 g) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg
1 cup (90 g) grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk
Maldon sea salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board or counter and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to the prepared baking tray. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, if using, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

Cakes, Entertaining, French food, Poultry, Soups and stews

Coq au Vin and Gâteau au Chocolat Fondant de Nathalie

Don’t be intimidated by this post’s fancy name — I could have just called it chicken in wine and chocolate mousse cake, but where’s the fun in that? I had a Francophile friend over for lunch the other day, so decided it was as good a time as any to make the Barefoot Contessa version of coq au vin that I’ve been wanting to try. And after being very good for all of January and not baking a single thing, I undid all my efforts and made this cake. But oh, such a cake. It’s one of my top two favorite cakes (Beatty’s chocolate cake is the other). Fudgy, smooth and intense, it was worth every previously forsaken calorie.

This is a great menu for entertaining because you can make both dishes in advance. In fact, the cake gets even better after a day or two. It’s also incredibly easy to make — just melt the chocolate and butter together, then stir in all the rest of the ingredients in the same bowl (you can watch Trish Deseine herself making it to see just how easy it is). You often hear that you should use the best-quality ingredients you can find, but it’s particularly true for this cake. I used Green & Black’s organic chocolate, organic eggs and Lurpak butter from Denmark.

Ina Garten suggests serving the coq au vin with garlic mashed potatoes, but I wanted to make things easier on myself and so just served it with a good store-bought crusty bread instead. I also served a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette and a plate of Brie and Roquefort. There are few better ways to spend an afternoon than with a good friend, good conversation and a table full of good food.

Coq au Vin
adapted from Back to Basics by Ina Garten

If you can’t find frozen small whole onions and don’t want to bother with peeling small shallots, just use 2 yellow onions instead of the 1 called for at the start of the recipe. And if you don’t have a Dutch oven, simmer the coq au vin on the stovetop for 45 minutes to 1 hour instead.

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz (110 g) bacon or pancetta, diced
1 x 3 to 4‑lb (1.4 to 1.8 kg) chicken, cut into eighths (or use an equal weight of chicken breasts and thighs)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb (225 g) carrots, cut diagonally in 1‑inch pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup (60 ml) Cognac or good brandy
1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy
1 cup (240 ml) good-quality chicken stock
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 lb (225 g) frozen small whole onions (or small peeled shallots*)
1/2 lb (225 g) cremini mushrooms (button mushrooms will also work fine), stems removed and thickly sliced

*Note: To peel shallots easily, drop them into a pot of boiling water for less than 1 minute. Drain, then slip off the skins.

Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C).

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, salt and pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink (or simmer on the stovetop for 45 minutes to 1 hour). Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir it into the stew to thicken it. Add the frozen onions (if using peeled shallots, saute them along with the mushrooms in the next step before adding to the stew). In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over a medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste and serve hot.

***

Gâteau au Chocolat Fondant de Nathalie
adapted from Je veux du chocolat! by Trish Deseine (recipe via Orangette and RTÉ)

This cake is even better on the second day, so consider making it the day before serving. Molly Wizenberg at Orangette says this cake is also suitable for freezing, and even improves in texture and flavor after a week or two in the freezer.

7 oz (200 g) best-quality dark chocolate
1 tablespoon double-strength espresso or 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
7 oz (200 g) best-quality unsalted butter, cut into 1/2‑inch cubes
1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
confectioners’ (icing) sugar, to dust (optional) (or you could use Trish’s chocolate glaze, recipe here)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter and flour an 8‑inch round cake pan or springform tin (which is what I prefer, since you don’t have to turn it out).

Finely chop the chocolate and place it, along with the coffee, in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring regularly (every 30 seconds if using a microwave). Once the chocolate has melted, add the butter, stirring until it too has melted. Add the sugar to the chocolate-butter mixture, mixing well, and set aside to cool for a few moments. Add the eggs one by one, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition, then add the flour. The batter should be smooth and dark. If you can see fat still floating on the surface or if the mixture looks at all grainy, switch to a whisk and beat lightly until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center of the cake barely trembles when the pan is shaken (the cake should be very moist in the middle) and the top is a bit crackly looking. Let the cake cool completely in the tin before you turn it out, then revert it so that the crackly side is facing upward. Dust with icing sugar or spread with the chocolate glaze and serve at room temperature.

Seafood, Soups and stews

Mussels, Leek and Bacon Chowder

Remember how I was saying last week that it’s worth buying a cookbook even if you only make a few recipes from it? I got Nigel Slater’s new cookbook, Tender, as a Christmas gift this year. So far I’ve only made two recipes from it — a cauliflower gratin and this chowder — and I would buy the book for these two recipes alone. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to making more. This chowder knocks the socks off any I’ve had in Smugglers Creek Inn in Co. Donegal, O’Dowd’s in Co. Galway or PJ O’Hare’s in Co. Louth, which all make excellent versions. But this isn’t for the faint-hearted or calorie-conscious (and it isn’t exactly kid-friendly either) — see that broth in the soup? It’s nothing but cream and vermouth, and it’s incredible. I mean died-and-gone-to-heaven kind of good.

Mussels, Leek and Bacon Chowder
adapted from Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater

Serves 4 (or 2 very greedy people, ahem)

You could turn this into a pasta dish similar to one featured in River Café Two Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers by omitting the potatoes and using it as a sauce for 1 lb (450 g) of ditaloni or penne pasta.

3 leeks, white and light green parts only
5 oz (140 g) smoked streaky bacon
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
2 1/4 lb (1 kg) mussels
2 glasses vermouth or white wine
1 lb (450 g) baby potatoes
7 fl oz (200 ml) heavy cream
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
crusty bread, to serve

Thinly slice the leeks and rinse them thoroughly. Cut the bacon into short, thin strips and put them in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot with the butter. Let the bacon color lightly over a moderate heat. Turn down the heat, add the leeks and cover with a lid. Leave them to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and sweet — they should not color. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, check the mussels and pull away any beards. Discard any mussels that are broken, open or exceptionally heavy. Put them in a large pot, pour in the vermouth or wine and cover with a lid. Place over a high heat until the mussels have opened — this will only take a few minutes. Remove the mussels from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon (don’t throw out the liquid!). When cool enough to handle, remove each mussel from its shell. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and set aside.

Quarter the baby potatoes or cut them into large dice, depending on how big they are. Put them in a saucepan with 14 fl oz (400 ml) of the strained mussel cooking liquid. Add the cream, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and a little freshly ground black pepper (no salt). Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat so the potatoes simmer gently for about 10 minutes.

Add three-quarters of the cooked potatoes to the leeks and bacon. Put the remainder in a blender with the cream (pick out the herbs first) and blitz very briefly until smooth (don’t process this for too long or the potatoes will turn gummy). Pour into the pot and add the mussels and parsley. Bring everything to the boil again, then serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up every last drop. (Or just lick the bowl clean. No one will fault you.)


30-minute meals, Asian food, Soups and stews

Hot and Sour Soup (Tom Yam)

I’m not making resolutions this year and the closest I get to a New Year’s detox is to take a break from baking for a few weeks. This soup feels like it would fall into a detox kind of category, though (and truth be told, I could use a break from all the rich eating of the past few weeks). Its flavors are light, clean and refreshing, but it also has a warming, sinuses-clearing kick from the chilies. It’s what I crave if I have a head cold, and it works for a hangover too. You can serve this on its own if you’re feeling delicate — with the added bonus that it can be prepared in no time at all — or as a first course to another Thai dish, such as Pad Thai, or maybe Kelly’s Asian chicken salad and scallion pancakes. Or if you’re craving these kinds of fresh flavors but would like something a little more substantial to see you through a cold snap like we’ve been having in Ireland, then try this pumpkin and tomato laksa.

Hot and Sour Soup (Tom Yam)
adapted from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson

Serves 4

a handful of fresh cilantro, leaves separated from the stems
approx. 1 1/2 quarts (1 1/2 liters) chicken stock
1 stick of lemongrass, tender inner part only, roughly chopped (or 1 stick dried lemongrass, left whole)
3 x 1/8 inch (1/4 cm) pieces of fresh ginger
juice and zest of 1 lime
4 tablespoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
1 green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
140 g (5 oz) button mushrooms, halved or quartered, according to size
1 lb 2 oz (500 g) peeled raw prawns, thawed if frozen, or 2 small chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
5 small scallions, chopped

Heat the stock in a saucepan with the cilantro stalks, lemongrass, ginger, lime zest and juice, fish sauce and chilies. Bring to the boil, add the mushrooms and simmer for a few minutes, then add the prawns or chicken and spring onions and cook for a further 3 to 5 minutes, until the prawns are tender or the chicken is cooked. Remove the cilantro stems and ginger (and dried lemongrass, if used). Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro leaves and serve.

Asian food, Soups and stews, Vegetarian main dishes

Pumpkin and Tomato Laksa

Despite my recent cravings for hearty winter food, I’ve also been craving something with brighter flavors too. This laksa is warming and filling, and the clean flavors are a welcome respite from holiday excesses. Nigel Slater calls it a recipe to “restore and comfort.”

Pumpkin and Tomato Laksa
adapted from The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater

Serves 4

1 small pumpkin or 1 butternut squash (9 oz/250 g unpeeled weight)
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 red chillies, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
a lump of ginger the size of your thumb, peeled and chopped
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 large bunch of coriander, leaves and stems
a little vegetable oil
2 stalks of dried lemongrass
2 cups (480 ml) ml vegetable or chicken stock
1 x 14-oz (400-ml) can of coconut milk
24 cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
4 oz (110 g) dried noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
a large handful of mint leaves, chopped

Preheat the oven too 400°F (200°C). Cut the pumpkin or squash into large chunks and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper, then toss well to coat all the pieces in the oil and seasoning. Roast for about 30 minutes, until tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, to make the spice paste, put the chopped chillies, garlic and ginger into the bowl of a food processor. Add the lime zest and half the coriander leaves and stems. Blitz everything to a pulp, adding a little oil if the mixture needs it to go around.

Place a fairly deep pan over a moderate heat, add half the spice paste (keep the other half in the fridge for another time) and fry it, moving it around the pan so it doesn’t scorch. Do this for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the lemongrass stalks, pour in the stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil.

Cut the tomatoes in half, and add them with the nam pla and lime juice. They will take 7 to 10 minutes to cook. Add the chunks of pumpkin or squash and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Place a swirl of cooked noodles in each of the 4 bowls, pour over the laksa and add the mint and remaining coriander leaves.

Soups and stews

Chickpea, Sweet Potato and Chorizo Stew

I’ve never really been sure when autumn crosses over into winter. I’d always thought the winter solstice marked the first day of winter, which just goes to show my American roots — apparently we regard the season as starting on the solstice and ending on the following equinox (regardless of the fact that in the Midwest, where I grew up, you could still get snow well into April). It turns out that in Ireland and Scandinavia, the solstice is traditionally considered to be midwinter, with November 1st (Samhain) being seen as the start of the season, while other European countries call November 11th (St. Martin’s Day) the start of winter. Either way, the recent dip in temperatures has me craving warming, hearty foods even more than I did a month ago. This stew fit the bill perfectly. The chickpeas and sweet potato make you feel virtuously healthy, while the chorizo adds depth and spice. All in all, it’s an easy midweek meal for a cold night now that there are plenty more of those in store, regardless of whether you think winter is just about to arrive or we’re almost halfway to spring.

Chickpea, Sweet Potato and Chorizo Stew
adapted from Domini Kemp in The Irish Times

Serves 4

splash of olive oil
1 or 2 chorizo sausages, roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
2 or 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 x 14 oz (400 g) cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 x 14 oz (400 g) can of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato puree
pinch of sugar
2 cups (500 ml) water or stock
a few handfuls of baby spinach
handful of fresh cliantro (coriander), chopped, to garnish
crusty bread, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or stock pot on a medium heat and fry the chorizo for about 5 minutes, until it’s starting to brown a little at the edges. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion, cumin seeds and coriander seeds and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion has softened a bit. Add the chorizo back in, then add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, canned tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar and the water or stock. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Add in the spinach and stir until it wilts. Serve in bowls along with good bread and the fresh coriander sprinkled on top.