Farikal - Simply sheep in cabbage

Fårikål

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 very large chump chops or similar (1lb meat)
• Half a savoy cabbage
• Flour (2 tbsp)
• Whole Peppercorns (1 tbsp)
• Salt
• Water

Chop up the chumps into 1 inch pieces and retain the bones and some of the fat.  Cut the cabbage into ‘boats’ (like melon slices).  In the bottom of a heavy pan start a layering process with the fattiest bits of the lamb – then a layer of cabbage, until you end on a layer of cabbage for the top.  As you layer sprinkle the lamb with flour, salt and some of the whole peppercorns.  When you get to the stage illustrated – add water until just the bottom quarter of the stew is in liquid.  The cabbage will produce most of the final liquid.  Cook this over a gentle heat for two and a half hours.  Serve with potatoes boiled in their skins and crusty bread.

A stew of chorizo sausages, with bacon, potatoes and beans

Have decided that I’m not going to comment on the horrible article in the Mail by Jan Moir – just can’t face it.
Winter approaching and starting to dust down the heavier tastier recipes.

Still finding it hard to source rabbit, which is a great shame as for me it beats chicken hands down.

Waitrose stock really good and sweet large garlic.  I think it is just ‘fresher’ than the normal small heads you can get.  I use this liberally, but not as much as a friend of mine Mozz – who uses heads rather than cloves.  Mind you – he did remind me that spaghetti sauce does require nutmeg – something I’d forgotten.

The trick with the illustrated casserole, is not to rush things.  The beans are soaked the night before and then fast-cooked for an hour.  The ingredients can be decided on, depending what’s in your cupboard.  I start with lumps of sausage de-skined and gently heated up to let the fat start to run – whole white tripe sausages also work well (substitute white wine rather than red).

Once the sausage has started to release fat – add bacon in some form – lardons are nice but lumps of bacon better.  Take up the temp a bit to get the meat to catch and then add onions, garlic and herbs to taste.  Cut small new potatoes in half and add them with the soaked beans to the pan.

Finish by stirring in stock and red/white wine.  Add some bay leaves, and then cook gently for an hour.  Season and then cook until the potatoes are really tender.  Crusty bread and red/white wine should be served with this.  No veg.

Smoked Salmon is now very cheap for what was once a delicacy

I eat a lot of bread – one of the reasons I’ve put on a fair bit of weight.  I weigh about 14st when really 12st would be nearer the mark.  If I’m going to have fat I try to make sure it’s of the very best quality.

SMOKED SALMON, EGG MAYONNAISE CIABATTA

We’re lucky enough to have a very good bread stall nearby, as well as a Gail’s so getting good bread is a cinch.

Take a piece of ciabatta bread about 10cm long, split lengthways.  Lightly coat the bottom piece with mayonnaise and then arrange the sliced egg.  On this add the sliced smoked salmon and sprinkle with black pepper and lemon juice.  There is no need for butter or mayo on the top slice.

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/

The sausages come from our local butcher, Doves.  A family business since the 1880′s the current owner is Bob Dove.

The frontage of Doves Butchers

Anna’s famous onion gravy recipe (I warn you now – it was horrible – cook at own risk!)

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion (sliced into rings). Anna says that red onions are best.
• 1 clove of garlic (Finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 small knob of butter
• 1 level tbsp of plain flour
• 350ml of stock (boiling water poured over 1 tsp of Marigold)
• 1 level tsp of Marmite
• 2 tsp of soy sauce
• 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar (I think that she shouted this variation through the door as I shot out to join Jalopy in the snow).
• 1 pinch of decent mixed herbs (my addition)
• Ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan over a low heat and add the onion slices.
2. After five minutes add the garlic.
3. Sautee until the onions are soft and transparent.
4. Add the flour and stir in well. Let the flour get a bit nutty.
5. Add the stock gradually, stirring constantly. Then add the Marmite, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar,  mixed herbs and black pepper.
6. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer very gently for 20 - 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes until the gravy thickens and the flavours blend.