Prep time:

Cooking time:

Total time:

Serves: 6

1.5kg feather steak, beef shin or braising steak

3 red onions chopped

4 garlic cloves

10 (cm) ginger

20g fresh coriander

2tbsp plain flour

1tbsp Chinese five-spice powder

4 star anise

2tsp brown sugar

5tbsp Chinese rice wine

4tbsp dark soy sauce

500ml beef stock

1 bunch spring onions, sliced

1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

If I had to vote on my favourite one pot to feed a crowd, this has to be in my top three. Amazing Asian flavours, meat that falls apart, yet minimal effort, just time in the oven. I made it for a dinner party of 12 – actually I made it a week in advance … Continue reading "Family Values: One-Pot Christmas Eve Crowd Pleaser – Asian Beef Stew"

If I had to vote on my favourite one pot to feed a crowd, this has to be in my top three. Amazing Asian flavours, meat that falls apart, yet minimal effort, just time in the oven. I made it for a dinner party of 12 – actually I made it a week in advance and froze it. I served some simple Asian sharing nibbles instead of a starter and presented this one-pot with pak choi, broccoli and rice. It’s a great one if you’re entertaining over Christmas but don’t want to fuss for hours in the kitchen.

Method:

  1. Cut the feather steak into very large chunks – approx 10x5cm. Season the meat with salt and pepper and toss in the flour.
  2. Make a paste by blitzing the coriander, garlic and ginger. Or you could just chop it!
  3. Heat a large casserole and colour the meat in batches.
  4. Set aside the meat, add the rest of the oil and add the onions. Colour for a few minutes before adding the garlic, coriander, ginger paste.
  5. Return the meat to the pan with the five-spice and star anise. Add the sugar and stir then add the soy sauce, Mirin and stock.
  6. Put in a slow cooker for 8 hours or low oven (140°C) for 4-5 hours. Stir in the middle of the cooking time if you can.
  7. Finish with fresh chilli and shredded spring onions.

Sausage & apple rolls

Apples go so well with pork and with pastry. Choose a good cooking variety and some high quality sausage meat for these deliciously simple-to-make sausage rolls – perfect to serve at Halloween or Bonfire Night.

Apple, cauliflower & Stilton salad

This crunchy salad is ideal for the autumn – whatever the weather. It is hearty enough to serve for a light lunch or supper on its own, but equally good as a side dish. Use firm, tangy dessert apples like...

Hedgerow harvest cake

Celebrate the season with a delicious combination of fruits and nuts gathered from the hedgerows (or the supermarket). Apple is a very useful ingredient in general for cakes, either grated or as apple purée, as it will help to keep...