This creamy and indulgent beef stroganoff recipe, inspired by Neven Maguire, is the ultimate traditional comfort food. Serve with rice for an instant crowd-pleaser that all the family will love Recipe https://bit.ly/3hlGBYs
I never tire of a bowl of steaming hot stew. It’s the attention to detail that makes this dish one of the world’s great classics. This is my version that I have developed over the years. It’s a meal in itself, but for a special celebration, try serving it buffet style with bowls of turnip mash, colcannon and maybe even some glazed parsnips and carrots and watch your guests’ faces light up!
SERVES 6–8
900g (2lb) boneless lamb neck or shoulder, trimmed and cut into cubes
900ml (1½ pints) lamb or chicken stock
50g (2oz) pearl barley, washed
225g (8oz) potatoes, cut into chunks
225g (8oz) carrots, thickly sliced
225g (8oz) leeks, well trimmed and
thickly sliced
225g (8oz) pearl onions, peeled
100g (4oz) rindless piece of smoked
bacon, diced
2 fresh thyme sprigs
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley,
to garnish
turnip mash with crispy bacon and onion, to serve (optional)
colcannon, to serve
1 Place the boneless lamb pieces in a large heavy-based pan or flameproof casserole and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, then skim off any scum from the surface and then stir in
the barley. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 50 minutes, until slightly reduced and the lamb is almost tender.
2 Add the potatoes to the lamb with the carrots, leeks, pearl onions, smoked bacon and thyme and simmer for 30 minutes, until the lamb and vegetables are completely tender but still holding their shape. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3 Put the stew straight onto the table and scatter over the parsley. Serve dishes of the turnip mash with crispy bacon and onion and colcannon alongside and allow everyone to help themselves.
Oatmeal, Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies
This recipe was given to me by Mary Flahavan. I like it so much that we now make it up in batches and keep them in Kilner jars in our rooms for guests in case they’re feeling a bit peckish after a long journey but don’t want to ruin their dinner.
275g (10oz) Flahavan’s
Progress Oatlets
225g (8oz) butter, at room
temperature
150g (5oz) caster sugar
100g (4oz) plain flour, plus a little
extra for dusting
½ tsp baking soda
100g (4oz) dried cranberries,
roughly chopped
100g (4oz) white chocolate,
finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Blend the oatlets in a food processor until quite fine. Add the butter, sugar, flour and baking soda and blend again until the dough just comes together.
Tip into a bowl and beat in the cranberries and white chocolate. Shape into 12 even-sized balls and arrange on the lined baking sheets well spaced apart, then squash them down with the palm of your hand to about a 4cm (1 ½in) thickness. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until they are a pale golden colour and soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool and harden on the sheets for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a few minutes before tucking in with a nice cup of tea.
This Spaghetti Carbonara uses just four simple ingredients along with some salt and pepper and is ready in less than 15 minutes. Find the full recipe from our @simplybetterds brand ambassador @nevenmaguire below:
Ingredients 1 Pack Simply Better Italian Bronze Spaghetti 2 Packs Simply Better Guanciale Pepato, cut into strips 4 Simply Irish Better Free Range Corn Fed Large Eggs and 2 Yolks 1 Pack Pecorino Romano PDO, finely grated Simply Better Oriel Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Method 1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Season with salt and cook the spaghetti for 10 minutes until al dente. 2. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Sauté the Guanciale for 2-3 minutes until crisp. Drain off the excess fat and tip on to a plate to cool. 3. Beat the eggs and yolks in a mixing bowl until lightly and fluffy. Season generously with pepper and fold in most of the pecorino, reserving some to garnish. 4. Drain the spaghetti, reserving a small cupful of the cooking water and immediately tip into the bowl with the egg mixture. Add most of the Guanciale, reserving some for garnishing, and toss with a tongs until evenly combined. The heat of the spaghetti will be enough to create a smooth silky sauce – you can add a little of the reserved cooking water if you think it needs it. Divide among bowls and garnish with the rest of the Guanciale and Pecorino to serve.
Neven’s Top Tip: Reserving a small cupful of the pasta cooking water when draining can be used to enhance the silkiness of the cooking sauce before serving3d