Navarin de mouton

I found this recipe here and cooked it yesterday, for lunch. Really delicious

Long, slow cooking ensures that the stewing lamb or chump chops become very tender in this lamb stew.


ingredients

serves 4

Dripping or lard for frying

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed with 1/2 tsp salt

1 - 1 1/4 kg (2 - 2 1/2 lb). stewing lamb or 4 chump chops, trimmed of fat

Flour for coating

Freshly ground black pepper

396 g (14 oz) can tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 turnips or approx. 1/4 kg (1/2 lb) swede, peeled and chopped

1 bouquet garni

1 tsp spoon sugar

Freshly chopped parsley to finish



method

1. Melt a knob of dripping or lard in a flameproof casserole. Add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 5 minutes or until golden.



2. Coat the lamb in flour seasoned with black pepper. Add to the casserole and brown quickly on all sides. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree, then add the remaining ingredients except the parsley.



3. Bring just to the boil, then cover with a lid and transfer to a warm oven (160‚°C/325‚°F or Gas Mark 3). Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on the cut of lamb used (stewing lamb will take longer) or until the meat is tender and almost falling off the bones.



4. Taste for seasoning, discard the bouquet garni and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.



5. Serve with creamed or jacket baked potatoes with soured cream and snipped chives.

Marrow Ratatouille au Gratin

Found this one here and it´s very very good.


1 Marrow (peeled & deseeded)
4 Tomatoes (peeled & chopped) OR 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 Onion (chopped finely)
2 Garlic cloves (chopped finely)
Generous Handful of Assorted Herbs (parsley, thyme, basil etc)
Grated Cheese

Method

Heat the onion & garlic in some olive oil over a medium heart until they begin to brown. Cube the marrow & add to the pan. Cover & leave to sweat for around five minutes. Add your tomatoes & herbs, cook for around thirty minutes, top with cheese, melt under the grill & serve.

Créme Caramel (Pudim de leite condensado)

This is the easiest possible thing to cook, if you are just starting. It is also good to know in case you have people coming and are short on time.

1 can of condensed milk
same amount of milk (1 can's worth)
3 eggs

Syrup (Caramel)

1 cup of water
2 cups of sugar

Mix the sugar with the water in a hob. Heat in medium heat, without stirring, until it becomes a dark colour (about the colour of whisky or rum).

Put it in your oven proof tray and wooble it around, until you get the caramel all over. Let it cool down. This is the trick. If you mix the cream with hot caramel, it will cook the first and ruin it.
Cream

Mix it all in the blender and put it in the tray. Bake it in medium heat (180C) in bain marie (put the tray inside a bigger tray, with water) for about 30-40 min. The top will change colour and look dark. Check it it's done by sticking a toothpick in the middle of the cream: it's done when it comes off clean. Let it cool down, take it off the tray and keep it in the fridge until serving time.