Bill Farmer

Slow cooked ox cheek

Ox cheek is a tasty cut of beef, but it contains tough connective tissue which melts away when slow cooked.

Ingredients

• Ox cheek
• 4-6 chopped onions
• 3-4 large carrots
• Olive oil
• Black pepper
• Bay leaves

Method

1. Put ox cheek in slow cooker and set to high heat
2. Put a couple of bay leaves in the pot, grind black pepper over the meat and pour some olive oil over it
3. Surround the meat with chopped onions and chopped carrots
4. Put on the lid and allow to cook for a while
5. When bubbling melted down onion and meat juices become visible around the meat, turn the heat down to low
6. Allow to cook for 4-5 hours
7. Enjoy with potatoes and green veg

Whole Broad Beans in Olive Oil

This is from a transport caff near the village of Pissouri, Cyprus many years ago. The pods need to be picked before the beans have fully developed and before the pods have grown a tough membrane around the beans. I have not seen beans this young for sale.

Ingredients

• Young broad bean pods,
• Olive oil

Method

1. Wash and trim the bean pods and put in a suitably sized saucepan
2. Add a glug of olive oil, cover and place on a low heat for about 10 minutes or so
3. The pods will become soft and possibly brown a little depending on the heat

The transport caff served a bowl of these as a meal in it’s own right. Absolutely delicious, the white pith in the pods completely dissolves.

Venison and Chorizo Casserole

Ingredients

• 300g diced venison
• 75g chorizo, chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 red peppers, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• Flour
• Bay leaves
• 2 tsp paprika
• Olive oil
• Red wine
• Stock or stock cube and boiling water

Method

1. Add some olive oil to a casserole and put on a low heat
2. Toss the venison pieces in flour and brown all over in the casserole
3. Add the chorizo, garlic and onions and allow to cook until the onion is turning transparent
4. Add the red peppers, bay leaves, paprika and tomatoes, put the lid on and allow to cook until the tomatoes look cooked
5. Add the red win and stock, or use a stock cube and top up with boiling water
6. Allow to simmer gently for about one and a half hours

Shoreham fish chowder

Hearty meal for four, use whatever fish is available.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Two or three garlic cloves, chopped
• Two or three onions, chopped
• Two or three potatoes, cubed
• 150g mushrooms sliced
• 100g spinach, stems removed.
• Two tomatoes, chopped
• 300g smoked cod or haddock fillet, skinned and chopped
• 100g salmon fillet, skinned and chopped
• 100g prawns
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Milk

Method

1. Cover the bottom of a large pan with olive oil and put on a low heat
2. Add the garlic, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes, tearing up any big spinach leaves
3. Cover and allow to steam until the spinach has wilted and the potato cubes are cooked
4. Add the fish , prawns, paprika and turmeric and give a good stir and shake to distribute the ingredients.
5. Put back on the heat, covered until the fish is cooked
6. Add milk to nearly cover the ingredients
7. Put back on the heat until the milk just begins to froth
8. Serve with crusty bread or toast

Catalan slow cooked chicken

This is based on a recipe in Asda magazine.

Ingredients

• Chicken pieces – drumsticks, thighs, legs – whatever
• 3 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• Red and green pepper, chopped
• 6 tomatoes, chopped
• Bay leaves
• 1tsp paprika
• 1tsp turmeric
• 1tsp dried oregano
• Chicken stock pot
• Olive oil

Method

1. Put the chicken pieces in a slow cooker with bay leaves and turn on full to warm up.
2. Fry the chopped onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until soft.
3. Transfer the cooked onions, peppers, garlic and oil to the slow cooker, add the stock pot, the chopped tomatoes, paprika, turmeric and oregano.
4. Just cover with boiling water, put the lid on the slow cooker and leave on high for about an hour until it is bubbling gently.
5. Turn down to low and leave to cook for about four to five hours.