Food & Drink

Me Come Dine With Slow-cooker

beef stew

Preparation and cooking time

Prep: 20 mins Cookm: 4 hrs 4 hrs on high or 8 hrs on low

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped • 2 celery sticks, nely chopped • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil • 3 carrots, halved and cut into chunks • 2 bay leaves • ½ pack thyme • 2 tbsp tomato purée • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 2 beef stock cubes or stock pots • 900g beef for braising such as skirt, buy a whole piece and cut it yourself for bigger chunks or buy ready-diced • 2 tsp corn our (optional) • ½ small bunch parsley, chopped • buttery mash, to serve (optional)

Method STEP 1

Fry the onion and celery in 1 tbsp oil over a low heat until they start to soften – about 5 mins. Add the carrots, bay and thyme, fry for 2 mins, stir in the purée and Worcestershire sauce, add 600ml boiling water, stir and tip everything into a slow cooker. Crumble over the stock cubes or add the stock pots and stir, then season with pepper (don’t add salt as the stock may be salty).

STEP 2

Clean out the frying pan and fry the beef in the remaining oil in batches until it is well browned, then tip each batch into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hrs, or on high for 4 hrs.

STEP 3

If you want to thicken the gravy, mix the corn our with a splash of cold water to make a paste, then stir in 2 tbsp of the liquid from the slow cooker. Tip back into the slow cooker, stir and cook for a further 30 mins on high. Stir in the parsley and season again to taste. Serve with mash, if you like. Leave to cool before freezing.

Indian rice pudding (kheer)

rep: 15 mins Cook: 45 mins Serves 6

Ingredients

• ½ tsp sa ron strands • 2 litres whole milk • 20 green cardamom pods, pierced with the point of a knife • 100g basmati or long-grain rice • 100g caster sugar • 100ml double cream • 2 tsp pure rosewater • 2 tbsp aked almonds, toasted • 50g raisins, soaked in hot water

Method STEP 1

Put the sa ron strands in a small bowl and cover with 2-3 tbsp warm water. Gently push the strands against the side of the bowl with the back of a teaspoon – this will help release the avour and colour. Set aside to soak until needed.

STEP 2

Pour the milk into a large, heavybased pan set over a medium heat and tip in the cardamom pods. Bring to the boil, then scatter in the rice and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 40 mins, stirring often to prevent the rice scorching on the base of the pan, until the rice has broken down and is very soft.

STEP 3

Stir in the sugar and continue to cook until it has dissolved. Scoop out the cardamom pods using a slotted spoon and discard these.

More Gin & It

PART 2

Gooseberry gin

Make the most of those gooseberries you’ve been growing and turn them into gooseberry gin (one 700 ml. bottle). Drink neat, with tonic, or mix with sparkling water and mint.

Ingredients

• 400g gooseberries • 150g-250g caster sugar • 700ml bottle gin You will also need 1l wide-mouthed, ip-top jar, sterilised

Method STEP 1

Wash, then top and tail the gooseberries, discarding any leaves or stalks. Cut each berry in half, then put the fruit into the sterilised 1-litre jar. Add the sugar – 250g for green gooseberries, 150g for sweeter, red gooseberries, then pour over the gin. Seal the lid and shake until most of the sugar dissolves. Reserve the emptied gin bottle for later.

STEP 2

Keep in a cool dark place, and give the jar a shake every day if you can, or every couple of days. e gin will be ready after three weeks, but can be kept for up to three months with the fruit in for a stronger avour. Don’t keep the gooseberries in the gin for any longer than three months or the avour will start to deteriorate.

STEP 3

Decant a little into a glass, and taste. When you’re happy with the avour, discard the fruit, and strain through a ne mesh cloth or muslin, back into the original, or another, clean bottle. e avour will keep developing over time, store in a cool dark place. Drink on its own, mix with tonic or drink with sparkling water and mint for a refreshing summery cocktail.

Blackcurrent gin

Have a glut of blackcurrants? Make some homemade blackcurrant gin. Drink on its own, add a dash to champagne, or use in place of cassis in cocktails

Ingredients

• 300g blackcurrants • 200g caster sugar • 700ml bottle gin • You will also need • 1l wide-mouthed, ip-top jar, sterilised

Method STEP 1

Wash the blackcurrants and remove any stems, stalks and leaves from the fruit. Discard any that are bruised or discoloured.

STEP 2

Put the prepared blackcurrants into the sterilised 1-litre jar, along with the sugar and gin. Seal the lid, and shake until most of the sugar dissolves. Reserve the gin bottle for later.

STEP 3

Keep in a cool dark place, and give the jar a shake every day if you can, or every couple of days. e gin will be ready after three weeks, but can be kept for up to three months with the blackcurrants in for a stronger avour. Don’t keep the currants in the gin for any longer than three months or the avour will start to deteriorate.

STEP 4

Decant a little into a glass, and taste. When you’re happy with the avour, strain through a ne mesh cloth or muslin, back into the original, or another, clean bottle. Discard the fruit. e avour will keep developing over time, store in a cool dark place. Drink on its own, add a dash to champagne, or use in place of cassis for a less sweet pro le.