RECIPES
CERYS’S CAWL
Cerys Matthews handpicked this traditional wintry Welsh dish to share with us from her cookbook Where the Wild Cooks Go. “I absolutely love cooking,” says the singer. “That’s why I created this book; it’s a go-to for anyone cooking for groups with different dietary requirements, with its variety of flexible recipes for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters alike.”
Ingredients 1 onion, chopped 1 leek, chopped Olive oil Salt and pepper 1 large carrot, chopped 1 large parsnip, chopped 400g swede, chopped 400g potato, chopped 2 sprigs of thyme 1.2 litres of water (plus vegetable stock cube optional) 1 x 400g cooked butter beans, with their liquid (or other peas/beans, like pre-cooked chickpeas, kidney beans, black eyed peas, peas or fava beans) A handful fresh parsley, chopped
Method • Put the onions and leeks in a pan with a glug of oil and sauté with a pinch of salt until soft, 10 minutes or so. • Stir in the rest of the peeled, chopped vegetables, the herbs and the water, bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer until the vegetables are all tender, around 30 minutes. • Add the butter beans with the liquid and stir through. Keep at a gentle simmer, season to taste. At this point it’s technically ready, but can be left now at the lowest setting, to wait for you. • Serve in bowls (traditionally wooden ones, with wooden spoons, but hey), sprinkle with chopped parsley. On the table, offer a chunk of cheese and the grater, and the salt and pepper.
Non-veg option: Add small pieces of browned lamb (fried up quickly in hot oil before you fry the onion, remove from pan and set aside, adding back in at step 2). Traditionally, cheap cuts like the neck were used, so the longer you simmer, the less tough the meat; taste to see and keep adding water if it gets too thick and risks catching at the bottom.
Where the Wild Cooks Go, published by Penguin; www.cerysmatthews.co.uk
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