ross dobson food

one pot wonder

Treat 'em mean and keep 'em keen. I hadn't really thought this adage could be applied to cooking until I made my first winter's casserole of the season. Who'd have imagined not particularly great ingredients given not too much attention or care could give so much back?

I use the terms stews and casseroles interchangeably. They both refer to a dish made with vegetables and meat cooked in a broth or sauce. Although, casserole does come from the French for 'stew pan' and seems to refer specifically to a tough cut of meat cooked in an ovenproof pan.

The most enjoyable stews, it seems, are inversely proportionate to preparation. That is, don't fuss too much and you will enjoy it even more.

There is this thing that we enjoy something more if someone else made it. When we make something we often can't help but taste during the process. We dip, pick, spoon and smell our way through the preparation so by the time the meal hits the table you are not only over familiar with the flavours but full.

Cooking time is the key to enjoyment. With a slow cooked stew, you are denied the opportunity to constantly taste the dish. It is hidden from you, locked away in the oven, so when it is served it's like someone else made it. Lifting the lid off has a very much I can't believe I made this  feel to it.

In making this beef, onion and ale casserole I had this thing about recreating the steak and guiness pie filling. Ale or beer is a good substitute for guiness. You are more likely to have some in your fridge and it is not quite so rich or full on in flavour. There are only a handful of ingredients and the prep time is next to nothing.
Voila!

beef, onion and ale stew

• 1kg chuck steak, cut into large pieces
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 brown onions, cut into eights
• 2 bay leaves
• 375ml bottle ale or beer
• 1 litre beef stock

Have your oven hot and ready at 160C. Place the beef pieces in a clean plastic bag with the flour, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper. Shake the bag so the beef is evenly coated in the flour.

Heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof, heavy based saucepan over medium. When the butter is sizzling cook the beef pieces in two batches, for 3-4 minutes, turning often so they are cooked an even brown. Place all the browned beef in a bowl.

Add the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, so they turn  soft and golden.

Return the beef to the pan with the bay leaves, ale and beef stock. Bring to the boil, stirring once or twice. Wet a piece of baking paper, crumple up and place over the stew. This will let the stew thicken without drying out the ingredients. Cook in the oven for 2 hours.

Remove and place on the stove top over medium. Leaving the paper on top, rapidly simmer for 15-20 minutes, so the sauce is glossy and thickly coating the beef. Serve with mashed potato. This will serve 4 and any leftovers freeze well.
 

Ask a Dane what a Danish is and they will probably have no idea what you are talking about. On a recent visit to Copenhagen I met up with a Danish friend and asked her to take me to the place that does the best Danish. She giggled and told me what we know as a Danish, whether it be apple, apricot, strawberry etc is known in Denmark as wienerbrod, or Vienna bread.

It’s a cute story and it goes something like this. In the nineteenth century the bakers of Copenhagen were treated a bit like slave labour. For their skilled efforts, they received room and board. They demanded a wage and went on strike.

During the strike, Austrians and Germans were employed to cover the huge demand for baked goods. The Austrians bought with them the technique of folding butter into a yeast dough.

It was when the Danish bakers returned to their jobs, they continued some of the Austrians' techniques and added their own touches, like baking with jams and fruit fillings. This hybrid pastry became famous world over and is what we know as a Danish pastry.

Many of us love eating these but few of us want to make our own puff pastry. Enter frozen puff, one of the top ten convenient culinary creations, up there with charcoal chickens and tinned tomatoes.

This Danish will be ready in under thirty minutes, ideal for brunch or a last minute dessert item, served hot with vanilla ice cream. 

• cream cheese and cherry Danish
• 1 standard sheet of frozen puff pastry (about 24cm square), defrosted
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons cherry jam, or your favourite jam
• icing sugar

Have your oven hot and ready to go at 220C. Place some baking paper on a baking tray.

Cut the puff pastry square into four equal squares and place on the baking paper. Place a tablespoon of  cream cheese in the centre of each square with a tablespoon of jam on top. Bring the four points of the pastry towards the centre and pinch or twist firmly. No mind if there are little gaps in the pastry. The cheese and jam will leak out and look gooey and yummy. Bake for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Allow to cool before lightly dusting with icing sugar. Serve with coffee for brunch, or hot with ice cream for dessert.

Makes 4.