Something for the weekend: Relax with our recipes for a slow cook dinner

The rain is here for the weekend so unwinding at home with some comforting dishes is at the top of our agenda. Here are some low-maintenance slow-cook favourites

From tasty chicken to a delicious vegetarian delight, there's a comforting dish to suit all tastes here

Roasted chicken legs with olive oil mashed potato

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Whether you're on a budget or not, chicken legs are a fantastic choice, especially when you have the time to give them a long slow cook

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• potatoes, cut into even sized chunks

• 4 onions, cut into slices

• 8 chicken legs

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• good fruity olive oil – about 60ml for every large potato

Method

1. Rub the chicken legs with the honey, sprinkle with the paprika and season well.

2. Place into an oven heated to 180°C on a bed of the sliced onions. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are completely softened. About 35 to 40 minutes.

3. Place the potatoes into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer. I find that a slow simmer gives better results than a fast boil.

4. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until they are tender. Drain and then place the potatoes back into the saucepan and proceed to mash them well. You can then add your olive oil and seasoning and mash again until it is smooth.

5. Serve the chicken legs on the mash with the onions underneath.

 

Ottolenghi’s cauliflower roasted in chilli butter

recipe by:Darina Allen

Cauliflower is a humble vegetable, but if you feed it with oil or butter and slow-cook it, it will develop an intense sweetness and depth

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 2 large whole cauliflowers, with leaves (1.9kg)

• 2 onions, peeled and cut into eighths

• 8 red chillies, whole with a vertical slit cut into them

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

• Salt

• For the chilli butter:

• 120g unsalted butter, melted (or 120ml olive oil, if you want to keep it vegan)

• 110ml olive oil

• 1 ¼ tbsp red bell pepper flakes

• 2 ½ tsp tomato paste

• 1 ¼ Urfa chilli flakes

• 90g rose harissa (adjust according to the brand you are using)

• ¾ tsp Aleppo chilli flakes (or 1/3 tsp regular chilli flakes)

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 ½ tsp caster sugar

Method

1. Trim the leaves at the top of each cauliflower, so that about 5cm of the actual cauliflower is exposed. Cut both cauliflowers into quarters lengthways, making sure the leaves remain attached at the base.

2. Fill a very large pan (large enough to fit all the cauliflower quarters) with well-salted water and bring to the boil.

3. Once boiling, blanch the cauliflower quarters for 2 minutes, weighing them down with a lid a little smaller than the pan to ensure they stay submerged. Transfer to a colander to drain well. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

4. Mix all the ingredients for the chilli butter together in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt. Place the cauliflower quarters, onions and chillies on a very large, parchment-lined baking tray and pour over the chilli butter. Carefully mix to make sure everything is very well coated (gloved hands are best for this). Arrange the cauliflower quarters so they are spaced apart as much as possible; one of the cut sides of each quarter should face down, so the leaves are exposed.

5. Roast for 30 minutes, baste well, then turn the heat down to 170°C and continue to roast for another 35-40 minutes, basting twice, until the cauliflower is very well browned and the leaves are crispy.

6. Transfer everything to a platter, spooning over the remaining chilli butter and browned aromatics from the baking tray. Serve at once, with the lemon wedges alongside.
   From Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi

 

Sweet and sour pork with prunes, raisins and pine nuts

recipe by:Darina Allen

Jo Bettoja, whose food I adore, served us this rich sweet and sour stew in her home in Rome. The long slow cook ensures tender meat and a delicious sauce - comfort in a bowl

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 40 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 40 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 1.7kg boneless shoulder or leg of pork, cubed

• For the marinade:

• 6 juniper berries

• 10 black peppercorns

• 2 bay leaves

• ½ tsp thyme

• 1 carrot chopped

• 1 onion chopped

• 1 stick of celery, chopped

• 725ml dry red wine

• 50ml red wine vinegar

• For the sauce:

• 5 tbsp olive oil

• Sea salt

• 180ml red wine vinegar

• Pepper

• 36 prunes soaked in water

• 100g raisins, plumped in hot water

• 50g pine nuts, toasted

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 40g dark chocolate

• To serve:

• Polenta and a green salad

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a bowl.

2. Add the cubes of pork, stir well. Cover and marinate for 48 hours in the fridge. Stir every now and then during this period.

3. Drain the meat, reserve both the marinade and vegetables.

4. Dry the meat on kitchen paper.

5. Heat four tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan on a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides and then transfer to a casserole, season with salt.

6. Add a little more oil to the pan, cook the marinated vegetables for 5 - 8 minutes or until the onion is soft, add a few tablespoons of the marinade to prevent the vegetables from burning.

7. Add to the meat in the casserole.

8. Deglaze the pan with the rest of the marinade plus 60 ml red wine vinegar, bring to the boil and scrape into the casserole.

9. Add ½ tsp pepper, bring back to the boil, cover and cook in a preheated oven 160C°/325°F/gas mark 3 until the meat is tender, 1½ hours approximately.

10. Remove the meat to a bowl and strain the sauce into a saucepan, press the vegetables through the sieve to get the last of the juices.

11. Add the prunes, raisins and pine nuts to the sauce.

12. In another small saucepan simmer 120ml of red wine vinegar with 2 tablespoons of sugar for 4 minutes then add to the sauce with the grated chocolate and the meat.

13. Bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

14. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

15. Serve with soft polenta and follow with a good green salad.

 

Slow-cooked lamb shanks with haricot beans, tomato and herbs

recipe by:Darina Allen

Lamb shanks are thick and tender, and a perfect compliment to delicate herbs and soft, flavoursome beans in a rich red wine sauce

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 50 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 8 lamb shanks

• 8 small sprigs of rosemary

• 8 slivers garlic

• salt

• pepper

• 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 25g goose fat, duck fat or olive oil

• 2 carrots, roughly chopped

• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

• 1 leek, roughly chopped

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, bruised

• 150ml good red wine

• 150ml chicken or lamb stock

• 1 sprig of thyme

• 2 sprigs of rosemary

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 strips of dried orange peel

• Haricot beans

• tomatoes

• 225g streaky bacon, cut into lardons and blanched

• tomato fondue

• 2 tin haricot beans, drained or cannellini beans

• flat parsley, coriander, mint and chives, to garnish 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C.

2. Make an incision in each lamb shank and insert a sprig of rosemary or thyme and a sliver of garlic. Season with salt and black pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a heavy sauté pan or casserole and sauté the meat in it until well browned all over. Remove the meat from the pan.

4. Add carrots, celery, leek, onion and garlic and cook over a high heat until it starts to brown. Add the wine to the pan and bring to the boil and bubble for a minute or two. Add the chicken stock, herbs and orange peel to the pan, then arrange the lamb shanks on top, bones pointing upwards. Cover and cook in the oven for 1½-2½ hours depending on size.

5. The meat should be almost falling off the bones. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and brown the bacon in it until golden and fully cooked, add the tomato fondue and the haricot beans.

6. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

7. When the lamb has finished cooking, remove the lamb shanks to a deep wide serving dish. Strain the liquid and press to extract all the delicious juices. Discard the vegetables which have by now contributed their flavour. Return the juices to the pan and cook to reduce and concentrate.

8. Meanwhile, reheat the beans. Add the concentrated juices. Taste and correct the seasoning. Spoon the beans over the lamb shanks and scatter with a fistful of roughly chopped herbs.

 

Char-sui ribs with slaw

recipe by:Neven Maguire

These ribs are so tender that the meat literally falls off the bone. I like to finish them off in the oven or barbecue for that really sticky glaze. The easiest way to make the slaw is with a fine grater attachment on a food processor

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 5 hours 50 mins

Total Time

 6 hours 0 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Chinese

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 4 tbsp clear honey

• 3 tbsp light muscovado sugar

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce

• 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp freshly grated root ginger

• 1.5-2kg meaty pork ribs

• 1 litre water

• 20g fresh coriander

• For the slaw:

• 100g red cabbage, cored and finely shredded

• 100g white cabbage, cored and finely shredded

• 1 large carrot, grated

• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 1 tsp caster sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• To garnish:
  spring onion curls (optional)

Method

1. Mix the garlic in a bowl with the honey, muscovado sugar, soy sauce, hoisin, rice wine vinegar and ginger. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the marinade into the slow cooker (reserving the remainder) and add the ribs. Top up with the water, mixing to combine. Strip the leaves off the coriander and set them aside for the slaw, then put the stalks into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the ribs are tender but not falling off the bone.

2. Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Line a large baking tray with foil.

3. Remove the ribs from the slow cooker using a slotted spoon or tongs. Handle them carefully, as the meat will be very tender and may start to fall off the bone. Baste with the reserved marinade and lay on the foil-lined tray. Cook in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until starting to crisp on the outside.

4. Meanwhile, to make the slaw, mix the red and white cabbage with the carrot and reserved coriander leaves. Put the rapeseed oil, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, caster sugar and salt in a screw-topped jar and shake until evenly combined, then use to dress the slaw.

5. If making the spring onion curls, cut the spring onions into very thin slices, then put in a bowl of ice-cold water to curl. Drain well and lightly pat dry on kitchen paper before using.

6. Arrange the slaw on plates with the char sui pork ribs and garnish with the spring onion curls (if using).
   
   Neven Maguire’s Midweek Meals : Simple Recipes for Easy Everyday Eating, is published by Gill Books (€22.99). Photography by Joanne Murphy.

 

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