going to pot

As the evenings grow colder, thoughts of stew simmer in my mind: slow-cooked carrots, potatoes and parsnips inspire warm and homey thoughts. Casserole meats beckon from their shelves – after all, they are cheap too. It’s not surprising that stew was peasant fare. It made the best use of what was available in those hardy wintertime months.

But I’m a little ahead of myself – it’s only October, and the best parsnips and cabbage are still a month or so in the making. But that doesn’t stop me from making an early autumn stew that I’ve often concocted, with many variants, over the years. This one I’m cooking up tonight uses sausage, haricot beans and greens – though I’ve made an absolutely outstanding one with butter beans, swiss chard, sausage and fennel. If I can just get my hands on some swiss chard this stew will be on the menu not long after.

Another stew that I absolutely adore I first ate at my friend Sarah’s. It’s a vegetarian stew, loaded with parsnips, carrots, swede and potato, with the exquisite addition of dumplings made of flour, butter, cheese and spring onion. A splash or several of cider complete the pot. I think of it as a ‘special occasion’ stew, though the ingredients, simple and affordable, say otherwise.

Also check out the British Trout Association’s Provencal Saffron and Tomato Stew with Trout

The stew last night was the fifth use of my roast chicken from Sunday, in the form of chicken stock. I learned a few things – first, the greens need a bit longer than I gave them, so I added a few extra minutes of simmering in the recipe.

I also made the HORRIBLE mistake of serving this to my husband without the addition of a mash. Let’s just say he grumbled.

However, the liquor of the stew is very intoxicating – the tomato puree at first seems too much, but once swirled in with the creamy beans and the nutty parmesan, it becomes something quite special. (And I brought the leftovers for lunch today, which were even better a day later.)

Sausage, white bean and greens stew
(serves 2, with plenty for seconds)

6 sausages with high pork content
2 tins of haricot beans (or other white beans like cannelloni or butter beans), rinsed
2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced
3 stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped
1 bag of greens, rinsed and torn small
1.25 litre of chicken stock
1.5 tbsp of tomato puree
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
25g block of parmesan (using the rind is fine)

Pour about 250ml of stock into a large pot with the leeks and celery and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer until the vegetables are soft. Season.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium. Place the sausages under the grill for about 8 minutes, and remove to cool. Once cool, chop the sausages up.

Once the vegetables are soft, add the beans, tomato puree, and 1 litre more stock. Bring back to the boil.

Again, return to a simmer, adding the parmesan rind and the sausages. Season again. Add the greens to the pot and mix through. Cover and allow to simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve in large bowls, either on its own, or ladled over crushed steamed carrots.

chicken cacciatore with steamed broccoli and green beans

Chicken casserole dishes: love or hate? On one hand, they are wholesome, usually cost-effective, and homey. On the other hand, they tend to be a bit boring, and if the chicken is not cooked correctly, the meat will be dry and flavourless despite the juices surrounding it.

For these reasons, I have often stayed away from cooking chicken casseroles like coq au vin. They just do not excite me. But when I found Delia’s recipe for a version of the Italian classic chicken cacciatore, I had to try it. The vivid orange-red of the sauce, flecked with deep green rosemary and bay leaf, had an entrancing effect. Look for yourself.

I substituted several chicken drumsticks in place of the whole chicken and found it worked really well. The chicken needs to be browned off first and left to sit while concocting the rest of the casserole. Don’t skip this step!

Of course, all of that chicken skin adds quite a lot of fat to the dish. Although it can be messy, I advise removing the skin before eating with a fork and knife. It could save 300-400 calories, which is quite a lot. Much of the flavour remains, since the chicken and the sauce were still cooked in the skin casing. Besides, the rich liquor of tomatoes, wine, tomato puree, garlic, onion, and rosemary is fantastic all on its own.

This recipe takes about an hour and a half to prepare and cook. I would recommend it for a lazy Sunday afternoon when you can check on the dish intermittently whilst reading a book or watching a film.

Serve the chicken cacciatore with some freshly steamed broccoli and green beans. Delia recommends green tagliatelle, but I think vegetables fit better with the overall dish.

Calories per serving (2 chicken drumsticks with one-third of the sauce, with the skin removed before eating): around 700. Using other, less fatty, cuts of chicken would decrease the calorie count.