Rugby fever is hitting Dunedin and I think the menu today is going to fit well. Winter soups which could simmer away to quickly line the stomach. Beef Cheeks which I would certainly advise cooking the day before or putting on in your slow cooker so that you can simply reheat them as this dish is not for the faint hearted as it certainly ticks all the boxes with regard to hearty, rib sticking comfort food.

However I do have steamed cabbage with caraway, pumpkin fritters with a bit of spice and some sweet, sticky apple compote which goes with so much but I particular like it over pancakes.  Anyway good luck if you are going to the rugby I am obviously supporting the All Blacks especially as my husband is British and he is obviously supporting England.  It should be fun and Go Dunedin!

BEEF CHEEKS

Thanks to Leckies Butcher for supplying us with these fresh, meaty cheeks, don't be put off as they are one of the nicest cuts to eat, long and slow cooking with plenty of winter veges and you have a fantastic dish. And its good on the pocket as well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beef cheeks are a cut of meat that I am always on the lookout for and it just happens that Leckies Butcher has a secret stash!  They need moisture when cooked and they need long and slow cooking.  The meat should be meltingly tender when consumed!

Serves 4

2 beef cheeks

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 onion, diced

1/2 bulb of garlic, cut across the middle

1 stick celery, chopped

1 leek, chopped

4 sprigs thyme

12 black peppercorns

2 Tbsp tomato purée

250ml red wine

1 litre beef stock

1 splash balsamic vinegar

1 splash Worcestershire sauce

Method

Preheat oven 150C

Trim the beef cheeks and remove as much sinew as possible. Cut each cheek in half. Season well with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based pan and brown the cheeks on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Add the vegetables, garlic and a little extra oil if necessary. Stir around until they turn golden. Add the thyme and peppercorns and mix everything together. When all the vegetables are golden, add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.

Pour in the red wine and stir, scraping up all the sticky bits from the bottom of the pan, then cook until the liquid is reduced and you have a sticky sauce – about 12-14 minutes.

Put the beef cheeks back in the pan and cover with the stock. Bring to the boil, skim the surface and cover with a circle of greaseproof paper. Place in the oven and braise the beef in the oven at 150C for 2 hours 30 minutes or until tender.

Once the cheeks are cooked add a splash each of balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Carve the cheeks into smaller portions if necessary.

 

ROASTED SWEDE SOUP

Serves 4

1 swede, peeled and cut into cubes

3 Tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely sliced

2 stalks celery, finely sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

6 stalks fresh thyme, leaves only

1.25 litres vegetable stock

125ml cream or milk (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C

Place the cubes of swede in a roasting tray. Drizzle over two tablespoons of the olive oil and season.

Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, stir in the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme leaves and fry for 4-5 minutes until softened but not browned.

Add the roasted swede to the pan and pour over the stock.

Bring gently to the boil, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Purée the soup in a food processor or liquidiser until completely smooth. Pass through a sieve for an extra fine texture if preferred.

Transfer the soup back to a clean saucepan. Stir in most of the cream (optional). Gently heat through and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

PUMPKIN FRITTERS

makes 12

1kg pumpkin, chopped into 1.5cm cubes + roasted or steamed till cooked through

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Small knob of fresh ginger, finely grated

small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp coriander seeds, toasted, crushed in a pestle, mortar

1 Tbsp cumin seeds, toasted, crushed in a pestle, mortar

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 lemon, juice

150g plain or gram flour

4 eggs, beaten

sunflower oil

300g Greek yogurt

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

Put all the yogurt ingredients in a bowl and whisk well, set aside.

Toss the cubed pumpkin in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a medium to hot oven till cooked through and a little caramelised (around 20 mins). Set aside to cool a little.

Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the shallots, ginger and garlic over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Now add the toasted and ground spices and fry for another 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.

Put the flour, chopped coriander, eggs, salt and pepper into the bowl with the shallot/spice mix, lemon juice and whisk into a batter. When the mixture is smooth, add the warm pumpkin.

Pour oil into a pan – 1.5cm depth – and heat. When hot, spoon in a test portion of the batter mixture and cook for around 2-3 mins on both sides until golden. Drain on some kitchen paper and then eat with some yogurt to test the seasoning – this mix does take a lot of salt.

Once happy with the seasoning, continue frying, adding portions of the batter mixture, around 2 tablespoons per fritter, to the pan. Fry in small batches, controlling oil temperature so the fritters cook but don’t burn. They should take 2-3 minutes on each side.

Remove from pan and drain on a kitchen paper. Serve with yoghurt and coriander.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE LASAGNE

This recipe is one I make time and time again. It highlights the unique taste of the artichokes and comforts with the addition of pasta.

Serves 4-6

1kg Jerusalem artichokes, washed well

1-2 cloves garlic

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, use only the leaves

300ml cream

50g freshly grated parmesan cheese

400g fresh lasagne sheets salt and freshly cracked pepper

250g spinach leaves

Method

Preheat oven 190C

Roughly chop the Jerusalem artichokes and put into a food processor along with the garlic and thyme leaves. Blitz the mixture until the Jerusalem artichokes are coarsely chopped. Add the cream and blend again. Season the mixture with salt and freshly cracked pepper and a handful of grated parmesan cheese.

Spoon a little of the Jerusalem cream over the bottom of your oven dish, place lasagne sheets evenly over the sauce to cover. Continue with more Jerusalem cream and then another layer over some spinach leaves and continue until all the sauce and pasta is used. Finish with a layer of sauce and sprinkle over parmesan cheese and plenty of cracked black pepper.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the pasta is tender and the sauce is bubbling and golden.

 

WARM APPLE COMPOTE – great with pancakes, icecream or custard!

Makes 1 cup

4 apples, cored & sliced or cubed

½ tsp ground cloves, allspice or cinnamon

juice of 1½-2 lemons, depending on size

3 Tbsp caster sugar

4 Tbsp clear honey

Method

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook for 5-6 mins until the apples are just tender.

 

 

ALISON WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING VENDORS FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING PRODUCE

LECKIES BUTCHER – beef cheeks

ROSEDALE ORCHARD – pumpkin

WILLOWBROOK ORCHARD – apples

JANE FIELD HYDROPONICS – fresh coriander

BRYDONE ORGANICS – swede and cabbage

GILBERTS FINE FOODS – fresh baked goods