The wind is howling, the sky is grey and it’s about to pour with rain, so there is no better place to be than in a warm kitchen cooking up something equally warming. I realise, of course, that by the time you read this, an early spring might have sprung, but c’est la vie!
I like cooking casseroles and stews as they make the house smell warm and comforting on a cold day, or any day for that matter – the combination of meat and vegetables (or beans and lentils and vegetables if you’re vegetarian) cooked slowly so that the flavours meld together to make a very satisfying meal. And they are economical, as the cheaper cuts of meat that require long slow cooking are just as tasty as pork or beef fillet.
Most casseroles and stews benefit from cooking at least a day ahead, so they are great for entertaining and can easily be doubled or trebled to feed a crowd, be it Boeuf Bourguignon for a smart dinner party, or chilli con carne for a casual supper with a group of friends.
Country Captain is a strange name for a curried chicken casserole, but it’s popular in the southern US, and there are several theories as to how it arrived there and got its name.
The most likely one is that it was brought to Savannah in Georgia, a major port on the eastern seaboard, by a British sea captain with the East India Company who had at one time been stationed in India. The British in India had developed a liking for curries, so perhaps he shared the recipe with friends or acquaintances in the US. Whatever the explanation, it’s been enjoyed for over 150 years.
Another stew with a strange name is sea pie – strange because it doesn’t contain any fish and it’s not exactly a pie, but like Country Captain, it goes back a long way.
Early sailing ships did not have ovens and, therefore, could not bake pies, so rock-hard ship’s biscuits, or hardtack, which was made from a flour and water paste, were pre-baked and taken on long voyages for the simple reason that they would keep forever.
At some time in the distant past, an inventive ship’s cook must have put the same hardtack mixture on to a stew to make a sort of stove-top pie. The flour and water paste has (thankfully) evolved into a dumpling made with suet. The original stew was made with just meat, onions and ale. Mrs Beeton put carrots in her sea pie and, with Victorian rectitude, left out the ale, but you can, of course, also add things like kidney, mushrooms, celery or whatever you fancy.
Duck legs make a good casserole, and it’s almost impossible to overcook them. The longer they cook, the more tender they become. However, it is important to get rid of the fat with which they are so generously endowed by roasting them first and draining it off. Don’t throw it away – it will keep in a jar for ages in the fridge, and it makes lovely crispy roast or sauté potatoes. Roast duck with orange is traditional, but this recipe turns it into a fragrant tagine to serve with couscous.
I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of Malta’s national dish, partly because we had rabbits as pets when we were children and would never dream of eating them. Another reason is that I can’t be doing with all those little bones, so I always buy fresh rabbit legs when I see them.
My husband has no such scruples – he didn’t have pet bunnies when he was young – and there is nothing he likes better than a rabbit stew.
This one, with potatoes and carrots cooked in cider, is a particular favourite and just needs some good bread to mop up the gravy.