Darina Allen: Three recipes for a crisis, including how to make my basic soda bread
Darina's Beginner brown bread, Classic foragers soup, and Braised Lamb Shanks
If we are to read the stars, it looks like life as we know it is about to come to an abrupt end.
Braised Lamb Shanks with Garlic, Rosemary & Haricot Beans
If necessary, cook slowly over an open fire until the lamb shanks are meltingly tender and almost falling off the bone.
Servings
6Course
MainIngredients
6 lamb shanks, 1kg approx.
12 small sprigs of rosemary
12 slivers garlic
6 anchovy fillets, halved (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Braising Ingredients
25g goose fat or duck fat or olive oil
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
200ml bottle good red wine
500ml chicken or lamb stock
1 sprig of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 strips of dried orange peel
Sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
110g streaky bacon, cut into lardons and blanched
½ carrot, finely diced
½ celery stalk, finely diced
½ onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic
4 very ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced or ½ x 400g tin of tomatoes + juice, chopped
2 sprigs of thyme leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
1 x 400g tin haricot beans, drained or 110-200g dried haricot beans, soaked overnight and then boiled rapidly for 20 minutes
Chicken or lamb stock to cover
Sprigs of rosemary and thyme, to garnish
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas Mark 2.
Make 2 deep incisions in each lamb shank, insert a sprig ofrosemary and a sliver of garlic wrapped in half an anchovy fillet (if using) into each incision. Season with salt and black pepper.
Heat the goose fat or extra virgin olive oil in a heavy sauté pan or casserole and sauté the meat in it until well browned on all sides.Remove the meat from the pan.
Add the carrots, celery, leeks, onion and garlic and cook over a high heat until well browned.
Add the red wine to the pan and bring to the boil, stir for a minute or two. Add the chicken stock, herbs and orange peel to the pan, then place the lamb shanks on top.
Cover and cook in the oven for 4 hours.
Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and brown the bacon in it. Thenreduce the heat and add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic and cook for 8 minutes approx. or until the vegetables have softened.
Add the chopped tomatoes, herbs, haricots and enough stock to half cover the beans.
Cover and simmer for 45 minutes - 1 hour.
When the lamb has finished cooking, strain out the herbs and vegetables and discard. Degrease the cooking juices and add to the beans. Taste and correct the seasoning.
Serve the lamb shanks in a hot deep dish with the bean and vegetable sauce and the braising liquid. Garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.
Forager’s Soup with Optional Chorizo Lardons
Throughout the seasons one can gather wild greens on a walk in the countryside – foraging soon becomes addictive. Many greens are edible and some are immensely nutritious.
Servings
6Course
MainIngredients
50g butter
150g diced potatoes (7mm)
110g diced onion (7mm)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
600ml light chicken stock
600ml creamy milk
250g chopped greens – alexanders, nettles, wild sorrel, a few young dandelions, wild garlic, borage leaves, wild rocket, ground elder, beech leaves, chickweed, watercress
Extra virgin olive oil
75g chorizo or lardons of streaky bacon (optional)
fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
Method
Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan. When it foams, add potatoes and onions and turn them until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. When the vegetables are almost soft but not coloured add the hot stock and boiling milk.
Bring back to the boil and cook until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked.
Add the greens and boil with the lid off for 2-3 minutes approx. until the greens are just cooked.
Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour. Purée the soup in a liquidiser. Taste and correct seasoning.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan.
Add the diced chorizo or lardons of streaky bacon, cook over a low to medium heat until the fat starts to run and the bacon is crisp (careful, it’s easy to burn chorizo!).
Drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle over the soup as you serve.
Use the chorizo oil to drizzle over the soup also and scatter a few little chopped parsley on top and enjoy
Basic Brown Soda Bread
Couldn’t be simpler, just mix and pour into a well-greased tin. This bread keeps very well for several days and is also great toasted and of course freezes perfectly.
Servings
6Course
BakingIngredients
400g stone ground wholemeal flour
75g white flour, preferably unbleached
1 tsp salt
1 level tsp bread soda, sieved (bicarbonate of soda/baking soda)
1 egg, preferably free range
1 tbsp olive oil, unscented
1 tsp honey or treacle
425ml buttermilk or sour milk approx.
sunflower or sesame seeds (optional)
Equipment
Loaf tin 23 x 12.5 x 5cm OR 3 small loaf tins 14.6cm x 7.62cm
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.
Put all the dry ingredients, including the sieved bread soda, into a large bowl, mix well.
Whisk the egg, add the oil, honey and buttermilk.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in all the liquid, mix well and add more buttermilk if necessary. The mixture should be soft and slightly sloppy, pour into an oiled tin or tins – using a butter knife, draw a slit down the middle. Sprinkle some sunflower or sesame seeds on the top.
Bake for 60 minutes approximately (45-50 minutes for small loaf tins), or until the bread is nice and crusty and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
Super Seed Bread
Add 1 tbsp of sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp of sesame seeds, 1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds, 1 tbsp of kibbled wheat to the dry ingredients. Keep a mixture to scatter over the top.
Note: The quantity of buttermilk can vary depending on thickness. Add 1-2 tbsp of cream to low-fat buttermilk (optional).
