This is the result of some all too rare experimentation in the kitchen by myself. Not sure about the name yet, it’s a little long-winded. I’ll think of something more snappy later. 
Anyway, this is similar to a Provencale bean stew. It started off as a Piperonata/Ratatouille and some beans and pesto got chucked in. Very pleased with the result. Great accompaniment to steak or grilled chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 medium courgettes
- 3 peppers (a mix of colours would be nice)
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves, crushed
- 1 carton passata (about 500g)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 can butter beans or borlotti beans
- 1 tbsp pesto (from a jar is fine)
Method
- Fry the onions and garlic in some olive oil until lightly browned.
- Add the roughly chopped vegetables (you want them to retain some bite) and fry hard to get plenty of colour on them.
- Add the carton of passata, a large pinch of oregano, the butter beans and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender.
- Grind some more black pepper and stir the pesto through. That’s it.
Serves 2.
I roasted a shoulder of lamb recently and got it together to make an excellent stock from the bones, which I then put in the freezer for later use. Lamb stock has quite a strong flavour and is not as “all-purpose” as chicken or beef stock; it is generally used only in lamb dishes. The stock is well worth the effort and you can use it as a base for a delicious Irish stew.
Irish stew is the perfect example of how good quality ingredients can taste amazing when cooked very simply. Lamb, vegetables and a good stock can produce a magical flavour. Some purists might baulk at the idea of putting carrots and thyme in an Irish stew but they give a great flavour. Give it a try.
Ingredients
- 8 small lamb chops ( I used loin chops, you could use neck or gigot)
- 6 medium sized potatoes, halved
- 3 sticks celery, quartered
- 3 large carrots, quartered
- 750 ml lamb or chicken stock
- 2 tbsp pearl barley
- 1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Trim the excess fat from the chops. You can leave the chops whole, but I like to cut each chop into large pieces.
- Place all of the ingredients in a large cast-iron casserole or pot, then top up with water to just cover the meat and veggies. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
- Cover the casserole, bring to a gentle simmer and leave for 1.5 - 2 hours. Check the seasoning and add some chopped fresh parsley.
Serves 4.
Leftovers
If treated right, leftovers can be more impressive than the original meal. To the leftovers of this stew I added 500ml of hot vegetable stock and whizzed with a stick blender. I added some frozen peas, broad beans and some chopped flat-leaf parsley. The results were absolutely wicked.
