stovetop

Low and slow is the way to fall-off-the-bone braised meats with creamy mash to catch all the saucy goodness, or try our wholesome soups, comforting stews and spicy curries.

chicken & pomegranate koresh

serves 4 | prep 15 mins | cooking 1 hour 30 mins

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil 1.8kg chicken marylands, excess fat trimmed 2 brown onions, halved, thinly sliced Pinch saffron 1 ⁄2 tsp ground cumin 1 ⁄2 tsp ground cardamom 1 ⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 ⁄4 tsp ground ginger 1 ⁄4 tsp ground turmeric 2 x 473ml btls pomegranate juice (see tip) Pistachios, to serve Pomegranate seeds, to serve Steamed saffron rice, to serve

1 Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Season the chicken and cook, in 2 batches for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to a plate. 2 Remove all but 1 tbs of the fat from the pan. Reduce heat to low. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until golden. Add the saffron, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the chicken and pomegranate juice. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, for 50 minutes or until the chicken is tender. 3 Transfer chicken to a platter and cover with foil. Increase heat to high and simmer the cooking liquid for 8 minutes or until reduced and slightly sticky. Drizzle over the chicken and sprinkle with pistachios, pomegranate seeds and parsley, if using. Serve with the steamed saffron rice.

top tip

Pomegranate juice is available from most supermarkets and health food stores.

I love this Persian dish for its tangy pomegranate sauce and the pretty jewelled effect from the pomegranate seeds and pistachios. It’s a dinner party favourite.” Michelle Southan

top tip

To make raita, combine 1 cup of Greek yoghurt with 1 deseeded and finely chopped Lebanese cucumber and ²⁄³ cup chopped fresh mint leaves. .

beef & pumpkin curry

serves 4 | prep 30 mins cooking 2 hours 40 mins

2 tbs grapeseed oil 1 1 ⁄2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 cinnamon stick 3 cardamom pods, bruised 12 fresh curry leaves 1 large brown onion, finely chopped 6cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 small fresh red chillies, finely chopped 3 tsp garam masala 3 tsp ground turmeric 400g can crushed tomatoes 130g (1 ⁄2 cup) Greek yoghurt 1.2kg gravy beef, excess fat trimmed, cut into 4cm pieces 375ml (1 1 ⁄2 cups) water 600g Kent pumpkin, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces 2 tbs chopped fresh coriander Steamed basmati rice, to serve Mango chutney, to serve Cucumber & mint raita, to serve (see tip)

1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add seeds, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add curry leaves and stir for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add onion and stir for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add ginger, garlic and chilli and stir for 1 minute or until starting to soften. Add garam masala and turmeric and stir for 1 minute or until aromatic. 2 Add tomato and yoghurt and stir for 1-2 minutes or until combined. Add beef and stir for 5 minutes or until the beef changes colour. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until a sauce forms. Stir in the water. Season. 3 Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Add pumpkin. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Stir in coriander. Serve with steamed rice, chutney and raita.

chicken & quinoa soup

serves 4 | prep 15 mins | cooking 1 hour 35 mins

1.3kg free-range chicken 1 leek, white part only, sliced 3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped 10 black peppercorns 4 garlic cloves, peeled Handful fresh continental parsley stalks 100g (1 ⁄2 cup) quinoa, rinsed, drained 1 large carrot, peeled, finely chopped 1 large zucchini, trimmed, finely chopped 75g baby spinach leaves Harissa (optional), to serve (see tip)

1 Rinse the chicken cavity. Place in a large saucepan with the leek, celery, peppercorns, garlic and parsley. Cover with cold water. Slowly bring to the boil over medium heat. Skim fat from surface. Reduce heat to low. Partially cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken. Set aside to cool slightly. Simmer stock for 15 minutes to fully develop the flavours. 2 Strain stock through a sieve over a bowl. Discard solids. Remove and discard chicken skin and bones. Shred meat from breasts and thighs, and set aside. Save remaining meat for another meal. 3 Place 1.5L of the stock in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Add quinoa. Simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Add the carrot, zucchini and chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes or until vegies are tender. Stir through spinach until it wilts. Season. Stir through a little harissa, if using.

top tips

Any remaining stock can be frozen and used later in risotto or casseroles. Harissa is sold as a paste in most supermarkets.

spicy beef massaman

serves 6 | prep 15 mins | cooking 1 hour 30 mins

1kg beef rump, cut into 4cm pieces 2 tbs vegetable oil 3 x 270ml cans coconut cream 2 tbs brown sugar 2 brown onions, cut into wedges 500g chat potatoes, halved 4 dried bay leaves 6 cardamom pods 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) fish sauce 2 tbs tamarind concentrate (see tip, opposite page) Coriander leaves, to serve Fried Asian shallots, to serve Roasted unsalted peanuts, to serve Roti, to serve massaman paste

1 ⁄2 tsp white peppercorns 1 ⁄2 cinnamon stick, broken 1 ⁄2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tbs coriander seeds 8 French shallots, halved 8 garlic cloves, peeled 2 long fresh red chillies, deseeded, chopped 3cm piece ginger, peeled, sliced 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, finely chopped 2 tbs roasted unsalted peanuts 2 tbs water

1 For the paste, place peppercorns, cinnamon, cumin and coriander in a frying pan over medium heat. Toast for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Cool. Transfer to a food processor. Add shallot, garlic, chillil, ginger, lemongrass, peanuts and water. Process until a paste forms. Set aside. 2 Toss beef with oil. Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Brown the beef, in 2 batches, turning for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. 3 Add 1 can of coconut cream to the pan and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until it looks oily. Add paste and stir for 8 minutes or until aromatic. Stir in sugar. Cook for 3 minutes to caramelise. 4 Return beef to pan. Add onion, potato, bay leaves, cardamom pods, fish sauce, tamarind and remaining coconut cream. Bring to boil. Simmer gently for 1 hour or until the beef and potatoes are tender. Scatter with coriander, fried shallots and peanuts. Serve with roti.

Very yummy recipe. I did cheat and use bought paste but otherwise followed the recipe and very happy with the outcome.” Marianmcalliste

top tip

Tamarind concentrate is a tart puree made from the pod-like fruit of the tamarind tree. It’s available in the Asian aisle of the supermarket.

This was delicious. The comments from my family were all positive and the house smelt wonderful. I would definitely make this again.” janette68

goan coconut chicken curry

serves 6 | prep 30 mins cooking 1 hour 55 mins

2 tbs grapeseed oil 2 brown onions, finely chopped 6 (about 1.1kg) skinless chicken thigh cutlets, excess fat trimmed 6 (about 650g) chicken lovely legs 375ml (1 1 ⁄2 cups) water 3 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick 1 whole star anise 3 tsp tamarind puree 2 tbs chopped fresh coriander Steamed basmati rice, to serve Naan bread, to serve coconut paste

85g (1 cup) desiccated coconut 1 tbs coriander seeds 1 1 ⁄2 tsp cumin seeds 1 1 ⁄2 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp black peppercorns 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 small fresh red chillies, finely chopped 3 ⁄4 tsp ground turmeric 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) water 2 tbs grapeseed oil

1 For coconut paste, heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add coconut. Stir for 2 minutes until golden. Transfer to a food processor. Wipe pan clean. Add coriander, cumin, fennel and peppercorns to pan. Stir for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic. Transfer to a mortar and pound with a pestle until finely crushed. Add garlic, chilli, turmeric and coriander mixture to the processor. Process until combined. Add water and oil. Process until a coarse paste. 2 Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion. Stir for 8 minutes or until soft and golden. Add coconut paste. Stir for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add chicken and stir for 2 minutes or until coated. Stir in water, cloves, cinnamon and star anise. Season. Cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Uncover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce is thick and chicken is tender. 3 Stir in tamarind and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in coriander. Serve with rice and naan.

lamb shank, star anise & noodle soup

serves 4 | prep 15 mins (+ chilling time) | cooking 2 hours

3 lamb shanks 2 brown onions, coarsely chopped 4 whole star anise 1 cinnamon stick 2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed 2 tsp black peppercorns 1L (4 cups) beef stock 500ml (2 cups) water 3 fresh lasagne sheets, cut into 4cm-wide strips 2 tbs soy sauce 2 tbs lime juice 4 green shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally Coriander leaves, to serve Vietnamese mint leaves, to serve Lime wedges, to serve (optional)

1 Place the lamb shanks, onion, star anise, cinnamon, coriander seeds, peppercorns, stock and water in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, skimming the surface occasionally, for 2 hours or until the lamb is very tender and coming off the bone. 2 Remove lamb shanks from the pan and set aside. Set aside the remaining mixture to cool completely in the pan, then place in the fridge to chill. Remove meat from the shanks and discard the bones. 3 Remove fat from the surface of stock and discard. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a large saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to the boil. Return meat to pan and add pasta, soy sauce and lime juice. Bring to a simmer. 4 Ladle the soup among serving bowls. Top with shallot, coriander and mint. Serve with lime wedges, if using.

lamb shanks with red wine, onions & anchovies

serves 6 | prep 15 mins | cooking 1 hour 40 mins

80ml (1 ⁄3 cup) extra virgin olive oil 3 brown onions, halved, thinly sliced 65g (1 ⁄3 cup) raisins, chopped 1 1 ⁄2 tbs anchovy fillets, drained, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 500ml (2 cups) red wine 40g (1 ⁄4 cup) plain flour 6 lamb shanks, French trimmed 1 x 410g can tomato puree 375ml (1 1 ⁄2 cups) chicken stock 1 sprig fresh rosemary Rocket leaves, to serve Polenta, to serve (see tip)

1 Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add raisin, anchovy and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is golden. Add wine and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 4 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by one-third. 2 Meanwhile, place flour in a large bowl and season. Add lamb and toss to coat. Shake off excess. Heat the remaining oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add half the lamb and cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining lamb, reheating the dish between batches. 3 Return lamb to dish. Add onion mixture, tomato puree, stock and rosemary. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 1 hour 20 minutes or until lamb is very tender. Discard rosemary. Use a large metal spoon to remove excess fat from surface. Season. 4 Divide the lamb among serving plates. Serve with rocket and polenta.

top tip

For polenta squares, cook polenta following packet directions. Pour into a pan to set. When set, cut into squares and pan-fry in oil until crisp.

This produces great-tasting lamb shanks, with the anchovies adding that umami flavour. Yum! I definitely recommend making this.” helenak

pork vindaloo

serves 4 | prep 20 mins cooking 2 hours 25 mins

4 dried red chillies, coarsely chopped 3 tsp cumin seeds 1 1 ⁄2 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp mustard seeds 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) grapeseed oil 1 large brown onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp brown sugar 1 ⁄2 tsp garam masala 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) malt vinegar 1.6kg boneless pork leg roast, rind and fat removed, cut into 3cm pieces 2 cardamom pods, bruised 1 cinnamon stick 375ml (1 1 ⁄2 cups) water Steamed saffron rice, to serve Mint and cucumber raita, to serve (see tip, page 40) Naan bread, to serve

1 Use a mortar and pestle to finely grind the chilli, cumin, peppercorns, coriander seeds and mustard seeds. Transfer to a food processor. 2 Heat 1 tbs oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and stir for 6 minutes or until golden. Transfer to the food processor. Add the garlic, ginger, salt, sugar and garam masala to the food processor and process until a coarse paste forms. Add the vinegar and process to combine. 3 Heat 1 1⁄2 tbs of the remaining oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Cook pork, in 2 batches, for 4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining oil to the pan. Add cardamom, cinnamon and reserved chilli paste. Stir for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add the pork. Stir for 2 minutes or until combined. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until a sauce forms. 4 Stir in the water. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or until pork is tender and sauce is thick. Serve with the rice, raita and naan bread.

rich beef & stout casserole

serves 6 | prep 25 mins | cooking 2 hours 45 mins

60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) olive oil 1.4kg gravy beef, trimmed, cut into 4cm pieces 12 French shallots, peeled 250g small cup mushrooms, trimmed 1 large brown onion, coarsely chopped 175g bacon, cut into 2cm pieces 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 440ml can stout, such as Guinness 430ml (1 3 ⁄4 cups) beef stock 2 tbs chopped fresh thyme 2 tbs tomato paste 1 tbs brown sugar 2 tbs plain flour 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) cold water Mashed potato, to serve (see tip) Parsley sprigs, to serve

1 Heat 1 tbs oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook beef, in 4 batches, for 2-3 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a plate. 2 Cook shallots for 2 minutes or until light golden. Transfer to a plate. Cook mushrooms for 2 minutes or until light golden. Transfer to a plate. Heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Cook onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add bacon. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add stout, stock, thyme, tomato paste, sugar and beef. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Add shallots and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover. Add mushroom and simmer for 30 minutes or until beef is tender and sauce reduces. Combine flour and water in a bowl and gradually stir into beef mixture. Simmer for 3 minutes until sauce thickens. Serve with mash and parsley.

top tip

Cook and mash 1.4kg potatoes. Add ¹⁄³ cup milk and ½ cup extra virgin olive oil and beat until smooth.

gulyas (goulash)

serves 6 | prep 20 mins | cooking 2 hours 20 mins

1.5kg beef chuck steak, cut into 3cm pieces 2 tbs olive oil 1 red onion, finely chopped 1 large green capsicum, halved, deseeded, cut into 1cm-thick slices 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp caraway seeds 1 1 ⁄2 tbs sweet paprika 500g baby (chat) potatoes, quartered 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) white wine 1 x 400g can diced tomatoes 375ml (1 1 ⁄2 cups) beef stock Sour cream, to serve Chopped fresh continental parsley, to serve 1 Season the beef. Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the beef. Cook, turning occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with remaining beef, reheating the pan between batches. 2 Heat remaining oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and capsicum. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and caraway seeds. Cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Remove from heat. Add paprika and stir for 1 minute to combine. Place over medium-high heat. Add potato and stir to coat. 3 Add beef, wine, tomato and stock to pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender. Season. Divide among serving dishes. Top with sour cream and parsley.

I’ve been looking for a goulash to match one I had in Switzerland years ago and this is very close. A real hit with kids and the man – will definitely make this a regular.” fionablond

top tip

To make this into a deliciously creamy goulash, allow the cooked mixture to cool, then stir through ¼ cup sour cream and reheat gently.

This was delicious, the whole family loved it. I only made four shanks, so I reduced the amount of stock. The meat just fell off the bone and the flavour was intense without being overwhelming!” sasher

indian korma lamb shanks

serves 6 | prep 15 mins | cooking 2 hours 30 mins

1 tbs olive oil 6 lamb shanks, French trimmed 1 brown onion, halved, cut into thin wedges 80g (1 ⁄3 cup) Pataks Korma curry paste 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger 2 cups beef stock 400g can diced tomatoes 230g (1 1 ⁄2 cups) frozen peas 2 tbs shredded fresh mint Steamed basmati rice, to serve Raita (see tip, page 40) or tzatziki, to serve

1 Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add half the lamb shanks. Cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until brown. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Repeat with the remaining lamb shanks. 2 Heat remaining oil in pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add curry paste and ginger. Cook, stirring for 1 minute or until aromatic. 3 Add the stock and tomato, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Return the lamb shanks to the pan and cook, covered, for 2 hours or until the lamb is tender and falls off the bone. Transfer the lamb shanks to a heatproof bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm. 4 Increase heat to high. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir in the peas. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until heated through. Stir in the mint. 5 Divide the rice among serving plates. Top with lamb and drizzle with the sauce. Serve with raita or tzatziki.

top tip

To give this dish a Middle Eastern flavour, use Moroccan spice mix instead of curry paste and add a pinch of dried chilli. Serve with yoghurt.