I don’t know about you but these grey February days which are often wet and blustery to boot, make me want to huddle down. I long for warming comfort food that makes little demand on my time and is waiting for me, filling the kitchen with delicious smells when I come back in from the cold. Whether you call this recipe a casserole or a stew I will leave up to you. My Mum always called it a casserole and I still make it in her old Le Creuset casserole that’s decades old!
But don’t let the intricacies of the name cause you any pause because it can also can be used as the base for so many different dishes when cooked. To get you started try spooning some of it into a deep pie dish and, when the filling is cold top it with puff pastry or mashed potato and pop it back in the oven for a pie. If you take the lid off the casserole for the last hour it will reduce slowly and then you can use it as you would a ragu (I like to shred the meat a little at this point) to accompany tagliatelle. My favourite way is to add large 2cm cubes of celariac and/or potato for the last hour and serve it in a bowl with a hunk of bread on the side. Continue reading