30 Days of Stuff: Day 21
I'm not defeated yet...
So now it's a recipe.
I have a recipe of my very own to share with you. It's my favourite "winter warmer" stew. I originally typed it out for Declan, he of the ridiculous photo here.
Mark's Winter Warmer
INGREDIENTS:
(approximate quantities only!)
2 - 2.5 litres boiling water
6 tbs* pearl barley
500 g potatoes, cut up into approx 2 cm pieces
1 kg chicken thighs & drumsticks OR 500 g diced chicken (can use more if you like it meaty!)
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
1 packet soup veg (350 - 500 g)
2 tbs brown vinegar OR 4 tbs cider or wine vinegar OR 100 ml cider or white wine.
3 heaped tsp* minced garlic OR 3 tsp garlic granules OR 2 largish garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp fine ground black pepper
1 - 2 tbs* mixed herbs (herbes de provence, thyme, rosemary, whatever you fancy)
3 - 4 Knorr (or similar) stock cubes - chicken and/or vegetable. One extra if using diced chicken.
3 - 4 dried bay leaves (optional)
salt, pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice to taste (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
(which must be obeyed without question)
1. Put the potatoes, pearl barley and water (and bay leaves if you're using them) in a very big saucepan.
2. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Add the chicken (if you're using thighs & drumsticks, peel off as much of the skin as you can first), onion, garlic, pepper, stock cubes, and vinegar/wine/cider. If you’re using diced chicken, add it about 10 - 15 minutes later in the cooking process.
4. Simmer for 30 - 40 minutes, or until the chicken and potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Add the herbs about 10 minutes before the end of this time (dried rosemary takes longer to soften, so add it earlier if you’re using it).
5. Add the vegetables and cook for another 10 minutes or so.
6. Add salt, pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice as you wish (I tend to add quite a bit more pepper, but that's me).
* tsp = teaspoon [5 ml], tbs = tablespoon [15 ml]
Note: You can make this with lamb instead of chicken. Stewing lamb is best, but lamb shanks will do nicely (but you need to deeply score them lengthways to ensure they don’t take all day to cook), or even lamb shoulder chops (just cut them up into 2 - 3 pieces each). If using lamb, put it in with the potatoes as it takes longer to cook than chicken.
So now it's a recipe.
I have a recipe of my very own to share with you. It's my favourite "winter warmer" stew. I originally typed it out for Declan, he of the ridiculous photo here.
Mark's Winter Warmer
INGREDIENTS:
(approximate quantities only!)
2 - 2.5 litres boiling water
6 tbs* pearl barley
500 g potatoes, cut up into approx 2 cm pieces
1 kg chicken thighs & drumsticks OR 500 g diced chicken (can use more if you like it meaty!)
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
1 packet soup veg (350 - 500 g)
2 tbs brown vinegar OR 4 tbs cider or wine vinegar OR 100 ml cider or white wine.
3 heaped tsp* minced garlic OR 3 tsp garlic granules OR 2 largish garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp fine ground black pepper
1 - 2 tbs* mixed herbs (herbes de provence, thyme, rosemary, whatever you fancy)
3 - 4 Knorr (or similar) stock cubes - chicken and/or vegetable. One extra if using diced chicken.
3 - 4 dried bay leaves (optional)
salt, pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice to taste (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
(which must be obeyed without question)
1. Put the potatoes, pearl barley and water (and bay leaves if you're using them) in a very big saucepan.
2. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Add the chicken (if you're using thighs & drumsticks, peel off as much of the skin as you can first), onion, garlic, pepper, stock cubes, and vinegar/wine/cider. If you’re using diced chicken, add it about 10 - 15 minutes later in the cooking process.
4. Simmer for 30 - 40 minutes, or until the chicken and potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Add the herbs about 10 minutes before the end of this time (dried rosemary takes longer to soften, so add it earlier if you’re using it).
5. Add the vegetables and cook for another 10 minutes or so.
6. Add salt, pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice as you wish (I tend to add quite a bit more pepper, but that's me).
* tsp = teaspoon [5 ml], tbs = tablespoon [15 ml]
Note: You can make this with lamb instead of chicken. Stewing lamb is best, but lamb shanks will do nicely (but you need to deeply score them lengthways to ensure they don’t take all day to cook), or even lamb shoulder chops (just cut them up into 2 - 3 pieces each). If using lamb, put it in with the potatoes as it takes longer to cook than chicken.