oven

Just turn it on and let your oven do the rest. Then enjoy a warm kitchen and perfectly cooked pot roasts, pies or crisp caramelised slow-roasted veg with slightly charred edges.

indian-spiced leg of lamb

serves 6 | prep 30 mins (+ 30 mins resting time) | cooking 6 hours

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 5cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated 1 tbs chopped fresh coriander root and stem 1 long fresh red chilli, finely chopped 1 1 ⁄2 tsp ground turmeric 1 1 ⁄2 tsp garam masala 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 ⁄2 tsp mustard seeds 1 ⁄2 tsp brown sugar 1 lemon, juiced 2 brown onions, cut into wedges 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 tbs grapeseed oil 2kg leg of lamb 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) water Fresh curry leaves, fried, to serve rice pulao

750ml (3 cups) salt-reduced chicken stock, warmed Large pinch saffron threads 1 tbs grapeseed oil 20g butter 1 large brown onion, finely chopped 3 cardamom pods, bruised 1 bay leaf 300g (1 1 ⁄2 cups) basmati rice, rinsed 90g (1 ⁄2 cup) sultanas 80g (1 ⁄2 cup) cashew nuts, toasted 1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan forced. Combine garlic, ginger, coriander, chilli, turmeric, garam masala, seeds, sugar and juice in a bowl. 2 Place onion and tomato in a large, heavy-based roasting pan. Drizzle with half the oil. Place lamb on top of vegetables. Use a sharp knife to score lamb 1-2cm deep, at 2cm intervals, across the top. Rub spice mixture over lamb and into cuts. Top with remaining oil. Pour water into pan. Cover tightly with foil. Roast, basting every 2 hours, for 6 hours or until lamb is very tender. Rest for 30 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, to make rice pulao, place stock and saffron in a jug and set aside to infuse for 3 minutes. Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cardamom and bay leaf and stir for 4 minutes or until soft. Add rice and sultanas. Stir for 1 minute or until combined. Stir in the stock mixture and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Season. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 11-12 minutes or until rice is tender. Set aside, covered, for 5 minutes. Use a fork to separate grains. Transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with cashew nuts. 4 Transfer lamb to a chopping board. Strain the vegetable mixture into a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to press on the vegetables to extract as much juice as possible. Discard vegetables. Allow fat to settle on the top. Remove and discard fat. 5 Shred the lamb and drizzle with pan juices. Top with curry leaves. Serve with pulao.

Invite friends over and serve an Indian feast with this spiced leg of lamb. Make a mint raita and heat up some roti to share and enjoy.” Michelle Southan

top tip

If mustard seeds are unavailable, you can substitute with a pinch of mustard powder.

top tip

Up the carb factor but keep it wholesome by serving these delicious shanks with a bowl of steamed brown rice.

lamb shanks with star anise & sweet potato

serves 4 | prep 20 mins cooking 2 hours 50 mins

4 French-trimmed lamb shanks 2 red onions, halved, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 tbs finely grated fresh ginger 3 whole star anise 1 cinnamon stick 1 tbs no-added-salt tomato paste 250ml (1 cup) salt-reduced chicken stock 250ml (1 cup) water 400g can diced tomatoes 400g sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces 2 tsp salt-reduced tamari 2 tsp lime juice Baby coriander leaves, to serve Steamed broccolini, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Heat a large flameproof casserole dish over high heat. Spray with olive oil. Cook the lamb shanks in 2 batches for 1-2 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside. 2 Reduce heat to medium. Spray the casserole dish with olive oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, ginger, star anise and cinnamon and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Stir in tomato paste for 1 minute. Add lamb shanks, stock, water and tomato to pan. Bring to boil. Cover. 3 Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Add the sweet potato. Bake, covered, for a further 1 hour or until lamb is very tender. Stir in tamari and lime juice. Season with pepper. Sprinkle with coriander. Serve with the steamed broccolini.

crackin’ asian pork belly

serves 6 | prep 20 mins (+ 10 mins resting time) | cooking 2 hours 40 mins

185ml (3 ⁄4 cup) Shaoxing wine 2 tbs hoisin sauce 1 lime, juiced 1 1 ⁄2 tbs soy sauce 4cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, halved 1 long fresh red chilli, thinly sliced 3 whole star anise 1 cinnamon stick 500ml (2 cups) water 1 large brown onion, cut into wedges 2kg piece boneless pork belly, rind scored 3 tsp grapeseed oil 2 tsp sea salt cucumber salad

1 tbs white wine vinegar 3 ⁄4 tsp caster sugar Large pinch of sea salt 2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled into ribbons 1 nashi pear, cut into matchsticks 1 bunch watercress, sprigs picked

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan forced. Combine wine, hoisin sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chilli, star anise, cinnamon and 250ml (1 cup) of the water in a heavy-based roasting pan. Stir to combine. Add onion. Place the pork, rind-side up, on top of the onion, making sure the liquid doesn’t cover the rind. 2 Drizzle the oil over pork rind. Sprinkle with salt and season with pepper. Rub the salt and pepper into cuts. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until the rind crackles. Pour 125ml (1⁄2 cup) of remaining water into the base of the pan. 3 Reduce the oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Roast, adding remaining water halfway through cooking, for 2 hours or until the pork is very tender. Transfer to a chopping board. Rest for 10 minutes. 4 For the cucumber salad, whisk vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add cucumber and pear and toss to combine. Set aside for 3 minutes to develop the flavours. Drain, discarding excess liquid. Transfer cucumber mixture to a bowl. Add the watercress and toss to combine. 5 Drizzle the pork with a little of the pan juices. Serve with the salad.

braised lamb pie

serves 4 | prep 20 mins | cooking 3 hours 20 mins

2 tbs olive oil 2kg lamb leg, fat trimmed, deboned, cut into 3cm pieces 1 brown onion, peeled, halved, cut into wedges 3 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced 2 (about 300g) carrots, peeled, chopped 2 tbs red wine vinegar 1 tbs caster sugar 50g sachet tomato paste 160ml (2 ⁄3 cup) red wine 2 bay leaves 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half 375ml (1 1 ⁄2 cups) chicken stock 1 ⁄3 cup chopped fresh continental parsley 4 sheets filo pastry 50g butter, melted Baby parsley (optional), to serve

1 Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook the lamb in 2 batches, turning, for 6 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside. 2 Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Add remaining oil to the dish. Reduce heat to low. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring often, for 8 minutes or until soft. Add carrot. Stir to coat. Add vinegar and sugar. Simmer, stirring, until reduced. Add tomato paste. Stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. 3 Add the lamb, bay leaves, cinnamon and stock. Bring to a simmer. Cover with baking paper and a lid. Bake for 2 hours or until lamb is tender. Uncover and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced. Stir through parsley. Season if necessary. Transfer the lamb mixture to a 2L (8 cup) ovenproof frying pan. 4 Increase the oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. Brush 1 filo sheet with a little of the melted butter. Lightly scrunch the filo and place on top of pie. Repeat with remaining filo and butter until pie is covered. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry is golden. Serve sprinkled with parsley, if using.

top tip

Make this pie as individual serves. In Step 2, after baking for 40 minutes, divide the lamb between four 500ml (2 cup) ovenproof dishes, top with pastry and bake for 15 minutes.

This tender slow-cook lamb pie will warm up the coldest night. Serve with creamy mash to catch all the lovely sauce.” Michelle Southan

middle eastern spiced lamb pot roast

serves 6 | prep 10 mins (+ 20 mins marinating time) | cooking 4 hours 30 mins

2 red onions, cut into thin wedges 2.2kg lamb shoulder, bone in 1 tbs olive oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 lemon, rind finely grated 2 tsp sumac 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried thyme leaves 1 ⁄2 tsp dried oregano leaves 185ml (3 ⁄4 cup) dry white wine 185ml (3 ⁄4 cup) salt-reduced chicken stock Tabouli, to serve Flatbread, to serve smoky eggplant puree

3 (about 1.2kg) eggplants 1 1 ⁄2 tsp tahini 1 1 ⁄2 tbs lemon juice 1 1 ⁄2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan forced. Place the onion in the base of a large casserole dish. Top with lamb. 2 Combine the oil, garlic, lemon rind, sumac, cumin, thyme and oregano in a bowl. Season. Spread over lamb. Set aside for 20 minutes to develop flavours. 3 Pour wine and stock around lamb. Cover and bake, turning halfway through cooking, for 4-4 1⁄2 hours or until tender. 4 Meanwhile, for puree, preheat chargrill pan on medium-high. Grill eggplants, turning, for 30-35 minutes or until charred and tender. Halve. Place in a colander for 30 minutes to cool. Scoop out flesh and discard skin. Process the eggplant flesh, tahini, juice and oil until smooth. Season. 5 Use tongs to transfer lamb to a platter. Cover with foil. Pour braising liquid into a jug. Use a metal spoon to skim fat from surface. Discard. Shred lamb. Serve with braising liquid, puree, tabouli and bread.

top tip

Instead of making the smoky eggplant puree, buy a tub of eggplant dip or baba ghanoush.

spicy beef & beer pot roast

serves 6 | prep 15 mins (+ 15 mins resting time) | cooking 3 hours 30 mins

1 tbs olive oil 1.5kg piece roast beef silverside or beef bolar blade 100g pancetta slices, finely chopped 2 brown onions, halved, cut into thin wedges 1 long fresh red chilli, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 500ml (2 cups) Tooheys Old beer 250ml (1 cup) passata 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) water 4 fresh thyme sprigs 2 bay leaves 2 tsp brown sugar 1 bunch baby carrots, peeled, trimmed Creamy mashed potato, to serve Steamed broccolini, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over medium-high heat. Season beef and cook, turning occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until brown. Transfer to a plate. 2 Cook pancetta in the dish over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Stir in the onion, chilli and garlic for 3 minutes or until soft. Add the beef, beer, passata, water, thyme, bay leaves and sugar to the pan. Bring to the boil. 3 Cover the dish and roast, turning the beef twice during cooking time, for 2 1⁄2 hours or until the beef is almost tender. Add the carrots. Cover and roast for 40-45 minutes or until the beef is tender. Rest for 15 minutes. Serve with the mashed potato and steamed broccolini.

Great taste and easy to cook. I added more chilli, and reduced and thickened the sauce. It was yummy with mash.” Sandrawagner

duck pithiviers

serves 4 | prep 40 mins (+ cooling time) | cooking 3 hours

2kg whole duck, quartered 1 brown onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped 1 small celery stalk, finely chopped 70g (1 ⁄4 cup) tomato paste 185ml (3 ⁄4 cup) red wine 500ml (2 cups) good quality chicken stock 8 sprigs fresh thyme 3 bay leaves 4 sheets butter puff pastry 1 egg, lightly whisked 30g butter 1 French shallot, finely chopped 450g (3 cups) frozen peas, defrosted

1 Preheat oven to 140°C/120°C fan forced. Place the duck, skin side down, in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Cook, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes or until fat has rendered and duck is golden. Transfer duck to a plate. 2 Discard all but 1 tbs of the fat. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the dish. Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes or until soft. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add wine, stirring, to scrape up any bits that have stuck to the dish. Add duck, stock, thyme and bay leaves. Season with pepper. Cover. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours or until duck is tender and falling from the bone. 3 Remove the duck from the liquid and remove and discard the skin and bones. Coarsely chop the flesh and transfer to a bowl with 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Set aside to cool completely. Strain the remaining liquid into a small saucepan. Discard the solids. Set aside. 4 Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Cut eight 12cm-diameter rounds from the pastry. Divide the duck among 4 of the rounds. Top with the remaining rounds and press to seal. Use a small sharp knife to make shallow cuts on top of the pies. Brush with egg and bake for 20 minutes or until golden. 5 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the peas and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until warmed through. 6 Simmer the reserved duck cooking liquid over medium heat for 7 minutes or until reduced to make a jus. Serve the pies with the peas and jus.

top tip

For a variation, swap the duck for a 1.8kg whole chicken and add 150g of chopped streaky bacon with the onion in Step 2.

Pithiviers are a French pastry favourite and our savoury slow-cooked take on the traditional recipe is just the thing for a long lazy lunch.” Michelle Southan

briam

serves 4 | prep 25 mins | cooking 1 hour 30 mins

160ml (2 ⁄3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil 1 (about 380g) eggplant, halved lengthways, thickly sliced 1 brown onion, peeled, cut into wedges 1 red capsicum, deseeded, thickly sliced 3 garlic cloves, sliced 2 small (about 350g) potatoes, halved, thickly sliced 2 zucchini, trimmed, sliced 160ml (2 ⁄3 cup) water 1 tbs dried oregano leaves 250g pkt baby roma truss tomatoes 200g pkt feta, coarsely crushed Crusty bread, to serve Baby parsley leaves (optional), to serve 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Heat 2 tbs oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the eggplant, in 3-4 batches, adding more oil if necessary, for 5 minutes or until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large roasting dish. 2 Add 1 tbs of remaining oil to the pan. Add onion, capsicum and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until soft. Transfer to the roasting dish. Add potato, zucchini, water and remaining oil. Sprinkle with the oregano and season. Toss to combine. Top with the tomatoes. 3 Roast for 1 hour or until vegetables are golden and tender. Top with feta, scatter with parsley, if using, and serve with bread.

top tips

This recipe is a great way to use any of the leftover veg in your crisper. Don’t be afraid to use lashings of extra virgin olive oil, it’s the secret to this Greek dish.

Briam is Greek home-style cooking at its best. It’s like an oven-baked ratatouille and tastes divine topped with hunks of salty feta and served with crusty bread.” Michelle Southan

orange & coriander pork belly with caramel potatoes

serves 4 | prep 15 mins | cooking 2 hours

2 tsp sea salt flakes 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed 1kg piece pork belly, scored deeply 1 orange, zested, juiced 250ml (1 cup) salt-reduced chicken stock 1 tsp caster sugar 1 tsp red wine vinegar Steamed English spinach, to serve caramel potatoes

850g new potatoes, halved 70g (1 ⁄3 cup) caster sugar 1 tbs water 20g butter, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Rub salt and coriander seeds into the scores of the pork. Place pork in a small roasting pan. Pour around orange juice, zest and stock. Cover with baking paper and foil. Roast for 1 hour 45 minutes or until pork is very tender. 2 Meanwhile, for the caramel potatoes, place the potato in a large saucepan of salted water and bring to the boil over high heat. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain well. Place the sugar and water in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Simmer, without stirring, until the mixture turns into a golden caramel. Add the butter and potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender and golden. Season with salt. 3 Drain the pork juices into a jug. Skim fat from the surface. Discard. Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan. Add the sugar and vinegar and gently reheat the sauce over low heat. 4 Preheat the grill to high. Place the pork under the grill and cook for 10 minutes or until the rind crackles and is golden. Slice the pork. Serve with caramel potatoes, steamed spinach and sauce.

top tip

Ask your butcher to score the skin for you, or if doing it yourself, use a very sharp knife as the skin is tough.

After a couple of hours in the oven, this pork belly offers little resistance and is beautifully tender and flavoursome. But it’s the golden caramelised potatoes that I can’t get enough of.” Michelle Southan

lamb shanks with tamarind & prunes

serves 4 | prep 15 mins | cooking 2 hours 45 mins

4 x 300g lamb shanks, French-trimmed (see tip) 40g (1 ⁄4 cup) plain flour 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) olive oil 50g butter 3 brown onions, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp ground ginger 1 cinnamon stick 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock 85g (1 ⁄4 cup) tamarind puree 275g (1 1 ⁄2 cups) pitted prunes 50g (2 ⁄3 cup) flaked almonds, toasted 1 ⁄4 cup fresh coriander leaves Mashed potato, to serve

1 Place lamb in a large bowl. Season and sprinkle with flour. Toss to coat. 2 Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Shake the excess flour from the lamb. Cook, turning often, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer the lamb to a tray and set aside. Drain all but 2 tbs oil from the casserole dish. 3 Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Place the casserole dish over medium heat. Add the butter, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes or until the onion softens. Add ginger and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Stir in stock, tamarind puree and prunes. 4 Return lamb to the casserole dish and bring to the boil. Cover and bake for 2 1⁄2 hours or until the lamb is almost falling off the bone. 5 Divide lamb among bowls. Spoon over sauce and scatter with the almonds and coriander. Serve with mashed potato.

top tip

French-trimmed lamb shanks are shanks without the knuckle. Ask your butcher to French-trim shanks for you, or ask for lamb drumsticks.

This was easy to make and delicious. Makes a nice change from my usual lamb shank recipe.” hambly

lamb, pomegranate & eggplant tagine

serves 6 | prep 20 mins | cooking 1 hour 55 mins

11 ⁄2 tbs grapeseed oil 2kg lamb shoulder, deboned, cut into 4cm pieces, excess fat trimmed 2 red onions, cut into thin wedges 1 cinnamon stick 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, chopped 2 1 ⁄2 tsp ground cumin 500ml (2 cups) salt-reduced beef stock 410g can Ardmona Rich & Thick Tomatoes 1-2 tbs harissa, to taste 1 tbs pomegranate molasses 1 tbs honey 350g eggplant, cut into 4cm pieces Greek yoghurt, to serve Pomegranate seeds, to serve (optional) Baby coriander sprigs, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan forced. Heat 1 tbs oil in a flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Season the lamb and cook in 3 batches, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. 2 Heat remaining oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until soft. Add cinnamon, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Stir in the cumin for 1 minute or until aromatic. 3 Return lamb to the dish. Stir. Add the stock, tomato, harissa, molasses and honey. Bring to boil. Cover. Bake, stirring halfway through cooking, for 1 hour 15 minutes or until lamb is tender. Stir in eggplant. Season. Bake for 20 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Top with the yoghurt. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds, if using, and coriander.

top tips

Freeze the tagine in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Top with the yoghurt and pomegranate just before serving. Serve with a side of fluffy couscous with chopped coriander.

This was absolutely delicious - the flavours from the cinnamon, pomegranate molasses and harissa really made this dish.” Roblyn

top tip

Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) is available from Asian supermarkets.

braised chinese beef with noodles

serves 4 | prep 20 mins cooking 2 hours 15 mins

1 tbs peanut oil 1.5kg beef shin (gravy beef), cut into 10cm pieces 1L (4 cups) good-quality chicken stock 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) Shaoxing wine (see tip, opposite page) 2 tbs dark soy 4 whole star anise 2 cinnamon sticks, halved 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns 2 strips of orange rind 500g fresh wheat noodles Sesame oil, to serve Chinese black vinegar (optional), to serve Green shallot, sliced diagonally, to serve Fresh chilli, sliced diagonally, to serve Coriander leaves (optional), to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Heat oil in flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook beef, in 2 batches, for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to a plate. 2 Add 500ml (2 cups) stock to the dish, stirring to remove any cooked on bits. Return beef to the dish with the wine, soy, star anise, cinnamon, fennel, peppercorns and rind. Bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until very tender, removing the lid for the last half hour if a thicker sauce is desired. 3 Cook noodles following the packet directions. Place remaining stock in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Divide noodles among bowls. Pour over stock and drizzle with sesame oil and vinegar (if using). Top with the beef and sprinkle with shallot, chilli and coriander, if using.

beef & borlotti bean stew

serves 4 | prep 15 mins (+ 1 hour soaking time) | cooking 2 hours

250g (1 cup) dried borlotti beans 2 tbs olive oil 800g beef chuck steak, cut into 3cm pieces 1 brown onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 200g button mushrooms, halved 185ml (3 ⁄4 cup) dry red wine 400g can diced tomatoes 185ml (3 ⁄4 cup) beef stock 1 red capsicum, deseeded, chopped 1 ⁄2 bunch silverbeet, trimmed, shredded

1 Place the beans in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 1 hour to soak. Drain. 2 Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add half of the beef. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef. 3 Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Add mushroom and wine. Bring to the boil. Return beef and juices to pan. Add tomato, stock and capsicum. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. 4 Simmer, covered, for 1 hour 15 minutes. Add the beans. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beef is tender. Stir in the silverbeet and cook for 5 minutes or until wilted.

top tips

Save the soaking time by using tinned borlotti beans. You could also replace the silverbeet with baby spinach.

chorizo with braised butter beans

serves 4 | prep 20 mins (+ 8 hours soaking time) | cooking 3 hours 10 mins

250g dried butter beans 1 tsp olive oil 1 large red onion, finely chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 100g chorizo, finely chopped 1 fresh long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped 1 tsp sweet paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tbs no-added-salt tomato paste 400g can diced tomatoes 1 tbs red wine vinegar 2 tsp brown sugar 750ml (3 cups) water 2 (100g) square wholemeal pita bread No-fat Greek yoghurt, to serve Baby rocket leaves, to serve 1 Place the beans in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 8 hours or overnight, to soak. 2 Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan forced. Heat oil in a flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add onion, celery and chorizo. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until golden. Stir in chilli, paprika and cumin for 1 minute. Add tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato, vinegar, sugar and water. 3 Rinse and drain beans. Add to tomato mixture. Bring to boil. Cover and bake for 3 hours or until beans are tender. 4 Heat a chargrill pan on high. Spray bread with olive oil. Grill for 2 minutes each side or until lightly charred. Serve beans with bread, yoghurt and rocket.

This healthy and hearty dish warms the soul and is full of fibre for great digestive health.” Michelle Southan osso buco with verjuice, fennel & saffron

serves 6 | prep 15 mins cooking 6 hours 15 mins

12 (about 1.8kg) veal osso buco 1 1 ⁄2 tbs olive oil 3 (about 450g) fennel bulbs, trimmed, thickly sliced, fronds reserved 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 tbs tomato paste Large pinch of saffron threads 250ml (1 cup) verjuice or white wine 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock 2 large fresh sage sprigs Cooked gnocchi, tossed in butter, to serve

1 Season the veal. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook half the veal for 2 minutes each side or until lightly browned. Repeat with another 2 tsp oil and remaining veal. Transfer to a plate. 2 Preheat the oven to 130°C/110°C fan forced. Heat remaining oil in the dish over medium heat. Stir in the fennel and garlic for 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in tomato paste and saffron for 30 seconds. Stir in the verjuice or wine for 1 minute. Add the veal, stock and sage. Cover. 3 Bake for 6 hours or until veal is very tender. Stir through the reserved fennel fronds. Season. Serve with gnocchi.

top tip

Transform osso buco leftovers into another meal. Shred the meat and heat in a saucepan with vegetables and extra virgin olive oil. Toss through cooked penne or fusilli pasta.

top tip

Wontons can be made up to three months in advance and frozen. Add to the soup direct from the freezer.

cider-braised pork neck with cabbage

serves 6 | prep 15 mins cooking 3 hours 10 mins

2 tbs olive oil 1.5kg boneless pork neck, trimmed, tied with kitchen string at 3cm intervals (see tip) 1 leek, trimmed, thinly sliced 1 tbs fennel seeds 500ml (2 cups) apple cider 600g kipfler potatoes, scrubbed 1 ⁄4 (225g) savoy cabbage, cut into 3cm wedges 80g (1 ⁄3 cup) crème fraîche 1 ⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh continental parsley

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan forced. Heat oil in a large flameproof dish over medium heat. Season pork. Cook, turning, for 8 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a large plate. 2 Reduce heat to low. Add leek to the dish and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Add fennel seeds and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Return pork to dish. Pour over the cider and bring to a simmer. Cover. Bake for 2 hours. Turn pork over in dish. Cook, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes. 3 Carefully remove pork from braising liquid and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Cut potatoes in half lengthways and add to dish with cabbage. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in the crème fraîche and parsley. Season. 4 Cut the string from the pork. Cut the pork into 2cm-thick pieces and serve with the potato and cabbage.

top tip

Order boneless pork neck from your butcher or substitute with boneless pork shoulder, if desired.

french lamb & cannellini bean casserole with rosemary dumplings

serves 4 | prep 20 mins | cooking 2 hours 5 mins

1 tbs olive oil 500g lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm pieces 12 baby pickling onions, peeled 2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced 2 celery stalks, diagonally sliced 500ml (2 cups) rose or white wine 250ml (1 cup) beef stock 1 bouquet garni 1 sprig fresh rosemary 400g can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed Steamed green beans, to serve rosemary dumplings

225g (1 1 ⁄2 cups) self-raising flour 30g butter 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary 185ml (3 ⁄4 cup) milk

1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Heat half the oil in a large flameproof dish over high heat. Add one-quarter of the lamb. Cook, turning occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until brown all over. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with remaining lamb. 2 Add remaining oil to pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onions are golden brown. Add the lamb, wine, stock, bouquet garni and rosemary. Remove from heat. Cover and bake for 1 1⁄2 hours or until lamb is tender. Add the cannellini beans and stir to combine. 3 Meanwhile, for dumplings, place flour in a bowl. Season. Use fingertips to rub butter into flour. Add rosemary. Stir to combine. Add milk. Use a round-bladed knife to stir until the mixture just comes together. 4 Increase the oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan forced. Remove dish from the oven. Spoon tablespoonfuls of the dumpling mixture over the casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until dumplings are golden brown and cooked through. Serve with steamed green beans.

slow-roasted lamb with white beans

serves 6 | prep 15 mins (+ overnight soaking time) | cooking 6 hours 10 mins

305g (1 1 ⁄2 cups) dried white beans 2.8kg lamb leg, scored 1 brown onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped 1 small celery stick, finely chopped 1 1 ⁄2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 180ml (3 ⁄4 cup) white wine 625ml (2 1 ⁄2 cups) good-quality chicken stock 70g (1 ⁄4 cup) tomato paste 7 sprigs fresh thyme 1 large sprig fresh rosemary 2 fresh bay leaves 250g pkt trussed cherry tomatoes

1 Place white beans in a bowl. Cover generously with water. Cover and set aside overnight to soak. Drain. 2 Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan forced. Place the lamb in a large roasting dish. Season with salt. Sprinkle the onion, carrot and celery around the lamb. Drizzle with oil. Cook for 30 minutes or until browned. 3 Add the wine to the roasting dish. Return the dish to the oven for 10 minutes to cook off the wine. Add the beans, stock, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Cover with baking paper and a layer of foil. 4 Reduce heat to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Roast the lamb for 5 hours or until the beans and lamb are tender. Uncover and add the tomatoes. Cook for a further 30 minutes or until tomatoes are golden and stock is absorbed. Season.

top tip

If you don’t have time to soak the beans overnight, boil them for 1 minute then set aside, covered, for at least 1 hour before using.

You can freeze any leftovers. Remove the lamb from the bone, chop up and combine with the bean mixture. Transfer to an airtight container, cover and freeze for up to three months.” Michelle Southan