Sophie Conran’s Soups and Stews

SHABU-SHABU

Shabu-Shabu, meaning ‘swish swish’, is a wonderfully light Japanese hotpot, a little like a fondue. You cook the sliced meat yourself at the table and enjoy the vegetables and stock afterwards. Everyone needs chopsticks or a fork, a spoon and bowl and dipping sauce.

TO SERVE FOUR TO SIX

600g/1lb 5oz beef fillet sliced as finely as possible and cut into 2cm/3/4 inch strips

1 litre/13/4 pints beef or chicken stock (see pages 184 and 185)

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 carrots peeled and finely sliced

10 shiitake mushrooms sliced

1 bunch of enoki mushrooms roots cut off

6 spring onions trimmed and cut in half lengthways

1 cube of firm tofu cut into four pieces (make sure that the tofu is not too fine, something more solid is best)

75g/3oz udon noodles

2 pak choi cleaned and sliced

1/2 Chinese cabbage cut into strips

For the dipping sauce

1 walnut-sized piece of fresh root ginger

peeled and finely chopped

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp sesame oil

Set the table first with a small paraffin stove or burner that will keep your pot bubbling, the chopsticks, bowls and some napkins. Prepare all the ingredients, arrange the beef slices on a plate, and have them waiting for the arrival of your guests. Combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a bowl and place on the table.

Once your guests are seated, pour the stock, soy sauce and 500ml/18fl oz of water into a large pot (it needs to fit safely on the paraffin stove and be big enough to take all the ingredients). Bring to the boil and then add, in this order, the carrots, mushrooms and spring onions. Then add the noodles, tofu, pak choi and lastly the cabbage.

Carry it very carefully to the table and set on the stove. Now the fun starts—each person should dip their meat into the soup until done to their taste, then dip it into the sauce and devour. Everyone helps themselves to veg, tofu and noodles and lastly the broth, which by this point is superb with wonderful flavours from both the veg and the meat.

PASTA IN BRODO

I adore this dish—it is the Italian equivalent of chicken noodle soup and soothes away life’s stresses and strains. I formed my attachment to this soup at the tender age of II, when my parents took a gastronomic tour of Italy. We whizzed around hairpin bends from Milan to Rome, eating on terraces overlooking fields of wild flowers, and in piazzas with gurgling fountains. Unfortunately, the speedy driving and rich meals took their toll. So I discovered the soothing qualities of pasta in broth and, to my poor father’s dismay, ate it for lunch and dinner for the rest of the trip, adoring every mouthful with its little parcels of loveliness.

TO SERVE FOUR TO SIX

1.5 litres/21/2 pints excellent beef stock

(see page 184) made with the addition of 3 chicken drumsticks and a small piece of Parmesan rind (odd, but traditional)

250g/9oz tortellini

freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Reduce the stock by about one-third and season until it is nectar. Refrigerate the stock overnight. By the next day it will have set like jelly and the fat will have formed a crust on the top. This is beef dripping and can be used for frying, or binned if you don’t like the look of it and it makes you a bit queasy.

Ladle 1 litre/13/4 pints of stock into a pan and bring to the boil, taste and season with salt. Drop in the tortellini and cook for the time stated on the packet. Serve with the Parmesan sprinkled on top if you wish.

MR PIANIM’S BEEF CURRY

Curry is a big part of the British culinary psyche and I have not been immune. I love grinding my own spices—there seems to be something very satisfying on a primitive level about pounding a few sticks and seeds together to produce some wonderful aromatic flavouring.

TO SERVE FOUR

2 tbsp olive oil

600g/1lb 5oz chuck steak trimmed and cut into 3cm/11/4 inch cubes

50g/2oz butter

1 large Spanish onion peeled and sliced

1 walnut-sized piece of fresh root ginger peeled and chopped

300ml/10fl oz tomato passata

500ml-1 litre/18fl oz-13/4 pints beef or chicken

stock (see pages 184 and 185) or water

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the curry paste

1 medium-hot dried smoked chilli

3 cardamom pods crushed and with husks removed

1 heaped tsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp each ground turmeric and cumin

1 pinch of sea salt

3 cloves of garlic peeled and roughly chopped

1 pinch of dried curry leaves a few grinds of black pepper

Grind all the ingredients for the curry paste together in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper, drop into the pan and cook until browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Reduce the heat, drop the butter into the pan and gently fry the onion and ginger together until the onion is soft. Stir in the curry paste and fry for about 10 minutes, giving it a gentle poke and stir around from time to time.

Glug in the passata and 500ml/18fl oz of stock or water. Return the meat to the pan, stir through and leave to gently simmer for 2 hours. Check that it isn’t burning or sticking from time to time and add a little more stock or water if it looks like it is drying out.

I like to serve this curry with basmati rice cooked in stock and tossed with butter, and a dish of spinach that has been briefly boiled then tossed in a pan with cream and a little nutmeg.

BEEF, BEER AND MUSHROOM STEW WITH CHEESY DUMPLINGS

My lovely mum is a fabulous cookery writer and as kids we were her happy guinea pigs. A couple of her books were on British cooking and I have the fondest memories of dumplings with lots of gravy. My version has the addition of baking powder to make them very light and fluffy; if you prefer a more solid dumpling, you can omit it from the recipe.

TO SERVE SIX

600g/1lb 5oz stewing steak cubed

2 tbsp plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil or beef dripping

50g/2oz butter

1 red onion peeled and chopped

2 ribs of celery cleaned, trimmed and chopped

2 carrots peeled and chopped

350g/12oz brown mushrooms trimmed, quartered

2 leeks cleaned, trimmed and chopped

1 tsp paprika

500ml/18fl oz light beer or lager freshly ground black pepper

For the dumplings

100g/4oz self-raising flour

50g/2oz prepared suet

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mustard powder

75g/3oz strong grated Cheddar cheese

1 handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 egg beaten

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Roll the meat in the seasoned flour until coated. Heat the oil or dripping in a large pot with a lid and brown the meat in two batches. Pop the meat in a bowl until needed. Reduce the heat and plop the butter into the pot, throw in all the vegetables, the paprika and a good grind of black pepper and give it a proper stir. Gently fry for about 25 minutes until soft, keeping an eye on them and stirring every few minutes, as you don’t want them to burn. Return the meat to the pot. Glug in the beer or lager and enough water to just cover the meat, stir through, pop the lid on the pot and place in the oven for 13/4 hours.

Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Using a fork, briskly mix in the egg and enough water to make a sticky dough but do not over-mix. Form into dumplings the size of walnuts and pop on top of the stew at the end of the cooking time, cover the pot and cook for a further 15 minutes. Serve with a salad on the side if you like, but it is a whole meal on its own.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

Jane Grigson called boeuf à la bourguignon (beef in the Burgundy style), ‘The stew of stews.’ This rich, delicious dish is worthy of a good-quality red wine.

TO SERVE SIX

1.5kg/3lb 15oz chuck stewing or braising steak cut into 4cm/11/2 inch cubes

30g/11/4oz plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

125g/4oz pancetta cut into little sticks

1/2 bottle of full-bodied red wine such as Merlot or Burgundy

300ml/10fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

1 bouquet garni

20 pearl (or ‘button’) onions peeled and trimmed

225g/8oz button mushrooms

25g/1oz butter

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Coat the beef cubes thoroughly with the seasoned flour. Heat half the oil in a large ovenproof pan with a lid on a high heat. Fry the pancetta in the oil until browned, then remove it from the pan. Add the meat and fry, adding a little more oil if necessary. Fry the meat in batches, putting in just as many pieces as will cover the bottom of the pan, until browned. Set the meat aside with the pancetta.

Reduce the heat to medium to low, pour in half the wine and bring to the boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the gubbins that have stuck to the bottom. Return the meat and pancetta to the pan. Pour in the rest of the wine and just enough of the stock to leave the top halves of the uppermost pieces of meat showing above the liquid. Add the bouquet garni, stir and season with pepper. Pop the lid on the pan and simmer in the oven for 2 hours. Meanwhile, simmer the onions in a small pan in the remaining stock for 5 minutes. Remove the onions and discard the stock. Fry the onions and mushrooms gently in the rest of the oil and the butter for 10 minutes, and then set aside until needed.

Once the meat has finished simmering, remove the bouquet garni and stir the onions and mushrooms through. Taste for seasoning. I like to serve with mashed potatoes (see page 187) and buttered Savoy cabbage.

BOEUF EN DAUBE

This is a classic stew from Provence, made using either white or red wine. Daube is traditionally served with noodles and often made with the meat of bulls killed in bullfights, which still take place in the region. It’s named after ‘dobar’, the Spanish word for stew.

TO SERVE FOUR TO SIX

1kg/21/4lb chuck steak cut into 5cm/2 inch cubes

2 tbsp olive oil

150g/5oz pancetta cut into small cubes

1 red pepper cored, seeded and sliced

2 red onions peeled and chopped

100g/31/2oz black olives

150ml/5fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

400g tin of chopped plum tomatoes

2 anchovies chopped

2 strips of orange zest (use a potato peeler)

1 handful of rinsed capers (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade

150ml/5fl oz white wine

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves of garlic peeled, bashed and cut in half

1 tsp each finely chopped fresh thyme and rosemary

freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, add the beef and stir through. Leave to stand for a couple of hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Heat half the oil in a large pan with a lid, pop the pancetta into the pan and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown. Stir in the red pepper, onions and olives and fry for 10 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in another pan until smoking. Drain the beef from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and fry the beef in batches for 3 minutes on each side until brown. Add to the pan with the onion mixture, and deglaze the pan the beef was fried in with the stock. Pour the stock over the meat, stir in the tomatoes, reserved marinade, anchovies and orange zest, stir through and pop into the oven for 2 hours. Check after 1 hour and top up with water if it starts to dry out. Once it is cooked through, stir in the capers, if using, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a little boiling water if it is a bit dry. Serve with plain boiled potatoes tossed in butter and parsley, a tomato salad and a big green salad. It is also lovely with couscous.

FEATHERBLADE

Jeremy Lee’s

Jeremy is a fantastic chef and his wit is sharper than any knife and keener than the strongest mustard. His smile and cooking can brighten any day. In this recipe, the featherblade, a piece of shoulder of beef, is cooked very slowly on the gentlest of heats until tender.

TO SERVE TEN TO TWELVE MOST HEARTILY

6 tbsp olive oil

1 piece of featherblade of beef about 2.5kg/51/2lb

150g/5oz unsalted butter

6 fresh sage leaves

1 generous sprig each of fresh thyme and rosemary

10 cloves of garlic unpeeled

250g/9oz lentils those from Puy are excellent

1 small onion peeled and finely chopped

1 small carrot peeled and finely chopped

1 rib of celery peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped

1 bay leaf

For the green sauce

tight fistful of picked fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 anchovy fillets coarsely chopped

1 tsp of capers coarsely chopped

2 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp very good red wine vinegar

sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Place a heavy-bottomed pot on a gentle heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Liberally salt and pepper the featherblade, ensuring a thoroughly even seasoning rubbed all over. Place the meat in the heated oil and let it sit until darkened and well coloured, without singeing. Move and repeat until the whole piece is marvellously crusted all over.

Remove the joint, discard any oil and wipe the pan, leaving only the gunk adhering to the bottom and sides of the pan. Add in the butter and 2 tablespoons of fresh oil. Throw in the herbs and then return the beef, rolling altogether. Add a cup or so of water and stand back, then reduce the heat to a little murmur and place a lid upon the pot. Let the joint cook quietly for 4-6 hours until the piece is soft and tender. Roll the joint occasionally to prevent sticking and add a little water every now and then to keep the whole thing merry.

While the beef continues on its way, attention now turns towards the lentils. Tip the lentils into a sieve and rinse very well under cold, running water. Put the lentils into a pot, cover with cold water and set this upon a high heat and bring to a boil. Tip the lentils into a colander and rinse lightly under cold water. Pour the remaining oil into a pan then add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic. Fry gently for ten minutes or so, stirring frequently, then add the lentils and the bay leaf and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer and leave to cook, a lid upon the pot, for a few hours until very tender.

Once the pots are simmering, make the green sauce. Wash the leaves very well, leave them to dry, then place in a bowl with the anchovies, capers and garlic. Pour in the oil and the vinegar stirring together very well.

Remove the beef to a splendid dish. Add some water to the pot, up the heat and stir well lifting up any scraps adhering to the bottom of the pot. Tip the warm lentils into this, then add the green sauce. Pour this over the beef and take triumphantly to the table where folks can help themselves.

BOLLITO MISTO

Bollito misto, as its name suggests, is mixed boiled meat. It is the Italian equivalent of boiled beef and carrots, totally delicious and almost as easy to make as a boiled egg. The list of meat is only a guide—add or omit meats as you like.

TO SERVE EIGHT TO TEN

1 small veal tongue about 1kg/21/4lb, trimmed of all bones (I like to tie mine with string in a roll)

1 ham hock about 1kg/21/4lb

2 onions peeled

4 carrots peeled

1/2 celeriac peeled and cubed

1 small chicken

1 bay leaf

1 Cotechino (pork boiling sausage)

Fill a very large pot three-quarters full with water and bring to the boil. Drop in the tongue and ham and simmer for 11/2 hours.

Plop the veg, chicken and bay leaf into the pot and continue simmering for another 30 minutes. Take the tongue out and leave to cool, then peel the skin off the tongue and chuck the skin away. Cook the Cotechino as directed on the package. Return the tongue to the pot and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.

Serve all the meat cut in slices, with plain boiled potatoes tossed in butter and parsley, some lentils and a few sauces. My favourite is salsa verde, but a home-made mayonnaise with a little grated fresh horseradish is delicious, as is mostarda di cremona and Dijon mustard. Serve with or without the broth and boiled vegetables.

CRAZY HOMIES EXTERMINATOR CHILLI

Tom Conran’s

Tom, my exceptional brother, owns a fantastic Mexican restaurant in London, Crazy Homies.We recommend drinking margueritas with this chilli for a real party.

TO SERVE TEN TO TWELVE

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2kg/41/4lb minced beef

2 large onions peeled and finely chopped

3 fresh jalapeno chillies finely chopped

3 tbsp crushed cumin seeds

2 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp paprika

375ml/13fl oz beer

500ml/18fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

875g/1lb 15oz crushed tomatoes

1kg/21/4lb cooked kidney or pinto beans sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish

soured cream

grated sharp Cheddar cheese

chopped spring onions

salsa

Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and brown the beef all over. Set aside. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and sweat the onions gradually until they start to colour brown (this stage is very important and gives the dish a lot of flavour).

Add the chopped chillies and sauté a minute longer, then add the herbs and spices and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the beef, beer, beef stock and tomatoes, bring up to the boil and then simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the beans and cook for another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

This probably tastes better the next day when the flavours have had a chance to meld. Garnish with the sour cream, cheese, onions and salsa.

TIP You can play with the spicing to your own tastes—add allspice, fennel seed, other chillies, orange zest, and so on. Go to www.lucky7london.co.uk for an update on Tom’s restaurants.

CARBONNADE À LA FLAMANDE

This is a traditional Belgian dish dating back to the 14th century. I am afraid I have doctored it slightly by using a light beer instead of dark, but the result is fabulous.

TO SERVE TWO

2 tbsp olive oil

700g/41/2lb chuck steak cut into two large steaks

1 tbsp butter

4 red onions peeled and finely sliced

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

400ml/14fl oz light Belgian beer

1 bouquet garni

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp double cream

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid on a very high heat until smoking. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and fry without turning for about 3 minutes on each side or until they have a brown crust. Remove the steaks to a plate and reduce the heat. Drop the butter into the pan and stir in the onions. Cook, stirring every now and then, for about 10 minutes until they are soft. Pour in the vinegar and sugar and give the onions a good stir. Continue stirring every now and again for another 10 minutes or until the onions have become caramelised and slightly gooey.

Return the steaks to the pan, pour the beer over them and drop in the bouquet garni. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with the lid and pop in the oven for 3 hours, checking every hour or so to make sure it is not drying out. Add some water if it is, to keep it moist, and turn over the pieces of meat. Remove the pan from the oven and put it back on the hob. Transfer the meat to a plate and discard the herbs. Turn up the heat and reduce the sauce to about half the quantity.

Meanwhile, mix the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and cream in a bowl. Once the sauce has reduced, slice the meat into 2cm/3/4 inch strips and return to the pan with any juice. Stir in the cream and mustard mixture and heat through. Serve with mashed potatoes (see page 187), and carrots tossed in butter and chopped tarragon.

OSSO BUCCO AND RISOTTO MILANESE

My son Felix goes nuts for osso bucco which literally means bone with a hole—it is his favourite dish. The meat becomes so tender, you can cut it with a spoon.With or without the gremolata, it is an easy and satisfying stew.