Slow Cooked Asian Flavoured Beef – Recipe

Ingredients
Cooks&Co Dried mixed forest mushrooms
400g can Cooks&Co Lotus root, drained and rinsed
1tbsp olive oil
2kg boned, rolled brisket, tied with string (ask at the butcher counter)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
5 cm piece of fresh Ginger, peeled and finely sliced 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Star anise
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground
1 tsp five spice powder
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
4 tbsp Shaoxing wine or use dry sherry
4 tbsp light soy sauce
500ml beef Stock
Juice of 2 oranges
2 x 180g bags Kale, any tough stalks removed
2 tbsp light Soy sauce
1 tbsp runny Honey
Pink peppercorns, roughly ground for topping (optional)
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 4 hours (or 8 hours on low in a slow cooker)

Preparation Method
1. Add the mushrooms to a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 30 mins. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160C (140C fan oven) Heat the oil in a large heavy oven proof casserole pot, add the meat, season well and cook for a few mins each side until lightly browned, then remove it and put it to one side.

2. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for a couple of mins, don’t let the garlic get brown. Then stir in the star anise, Sichuan pepper and 5 spice, stir then add the hoisin, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine and bubble gently for a minute. Drain the mushrooms and add, reserving the juice, then pass the juice through a sieve to remove any grit and add this to the pot. Pour in the stock and add the orange juice then return the meat to the pot. Ladle over the juices. Put the lid on and put it in the oven for about 4 hours, or until meat is really tender when poked with a knife. Check it occasionally and if it is drying out at all, top up with a little hot water as you go.

3. Towards the end of cooking, steam the kale, either in a steamer or sit the kale in a metal colander, cover with a lid, and sit it over a pan of simmering water, cook for about 6-8 mins until tender. Add this to the brisket for the last 10 mins of cooking, stirring it to combine with the sauce.

4. To braise the lotus roots, in a small non-stick frying pan, add the soy sauce and honey then tip in the lotus roots, stir to combine then let the liquid bubble for a few minutes to coat, give it a stir then spoon them over the beef to serve. To serve the meat, slice, removing the string as you go.  Sprinkle with pink peppercorns if using.

Tip: This makes an easy Sunday lunch served with roasties or mash potato or serve with rice. Any leftover beef, is great, shredded into a bun or wrap.

 

 

 

Roast Chicken with Leeks & Peppers – Recipe

Ingredients
4 leeks, trimmed and roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely sliced
400g pack baby onions, peeled
Few sprigs fresh Rosemary
Few fresh thyme stalks
1 bay leaf
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful of Cooks&Co green olives
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Generous splash of white wine
1 tbsp runny honey
1 whole chicken, jointed or chicken thighs
460g jar Cooks&Co roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
Gorgonzola for topping, optional, but delicious!
Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped for serving

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hour and 15 mins

Preparation Method
1. Preheat the oven to gas 6/200C (190C Fan oven) Add the leeks to a large roasting tin, along with the garlic, baby onions and fresh herbs and scatter over the olives. Drizzle with the olive oil and season well.

2. Mix together the balsamic, white wine and honey. Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl, pour over the balsamic mix and using your hands combine well. Now tuck the chicken pieces in and around the leeks. Pour over remaining juice then put it in the oven for 40 mins.

3. Remove from oven and stir though the peppers, return it to the oven and cook for about a further 20 mins until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are tender. Check on the chicken occasionally and if it beginning to get too brown, cover the tray loosely with foil. If using, scatter over some gorgonzola for the last 5 min of cooking or until it begins to melt. Garnish with parsley to serve.

 

 

 

Herby Goats Cheese & Porcini Risotto – Recipe

Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
200g mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
190g pack Cooks & Co Porcini Mushroom Risotto
150ml white wine
500ml vegetable stock
75g Cooks & Co Sweety Drop Peppers
1 knob butter
25g Parmesan, finely grated
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp chopped parsley
50g soft goat’s cheese

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 2

Preparation Method
Preheat the oven to 240oC, gas mark 9.
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the mushrooms and garlic for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the risotto mix and then the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half.

3. Add the stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4.Stir in the sweety drop peppers, butter and Parmesan, the sprinkle in the herbs crumble in the goat’s cheese but just allow to melt without stirring before serving.

Cooks tip
Try swapping the goat’s cheese for mascarpone or cream cheese.