Place an ovenproof medium–large casserole pot or heavy large saucepan on a medium heat, pour in the olive oil and put in the lamb shanks, season and allow to brown slightly on all sides. Add all the remaining ingredients, season with salt, pepper and a couple of good pinches of sugar.
4 Bring up to the boil, then place in the oven and cook for 3 hours or until very tender – the meat should be almost falling off the bone.
5 While the lamb is cooking, make the piperonata. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized casserole or saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cover (see the handy tip on page 15). Allow to cook gently on a low heat until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.
6 Meanwhile, slice the peppers. Cut the peppers into quarters from top to bottom, remove the stalk and seeds, then cut into short slices crossways or cut into squares about 3cm (1¼in).
7 When the onion is soft, add the peppers, toss to mix, replace the lid and cook for another 8 or so minutes until the peppers are very soft.
8 Add in the tomatoes and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes on a low heat until the sauce has
thickened and all the vegetables are cooked. Add the chopped herbs and season to taste.
9 When the lamb is cooked, take it out of the oven. I like to remove half of the sauce and liquidise it before adding it back into the pot.
10 Season to taste and serve together with the piperonata and mashed potato or bread, or allow to cool and reheat gently the following day.
Rachel’s handy tips
Sometimes there is nothing better than plain old mash, even just on its own! Of course, it’s delicious with so many foods, best of all with stews or roasts. You can leave it plain, or add buttered cabbage to make traditional Irish Colcannon, or add peas boiled in milk to make Irish Champ. Mash is incredibly versatile and marries well with so many flavours, so experiment with your additions, such as grated cheese, chopped herbs, spices (such as turmeric), crushed garlic, mustard, even horseradish! Mash also makes a great topping for pies and casseroles (see the recipe for Smoked Fish Pie on page 213).
SERVES 4
VEGETARIAN
1kg (2lb 4oz) floury potatoes (new potatoes are too waxy for mashing)
50g (2oz) butter
200ml (7fl oz) boiling milk, or 150ml (¼ pint) boiling milk and 60ml (2fl oz) single cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Clean the potatoes, but do not peel them. Place in a saucepan of cold water with a good pinch of salt.
2 Bring the water up to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Then pour out all but about 4cm (1½in) of the water and continue to cook the potatoes on a very low heat. Do not be tempted to stick a knife into them – the skins will break and they will just break up and get soggy if you do. About 20 minutes later, when you think the potatoes might be cooked, test them with a skewer; if they are soft, take them off the heat. I find that cooking potatoes in their skins is the best way to make fluffy potatoes, ideal for mashing.
3 Peel the potatoes while they are still hot, holding them in a tea towel to prevent scalding your hands. Mash them immediately. Add the butter, but don’t add any milk until they are free of lumps. When the potatoes are mashed, add the boiling milk (or milk and cream) – you may not need it all, or you may need more, depending on the texture of the potatoes. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
Rachel’s handy tip
If you want to make the mash in advance, add a little extra milk, as the potatoes dry out as they sit. The mash keeps well in a warm oven as long as it is covered with a lid, plate or tin foil.
Pork and Mushroom Pie with Gentle Spices
Savoury pies always rank very high on people’s lists of soothing foods. This is a great dish to make in advance, giving the aromatic spices even more time to infuse into the meat.
SERVES 4
FOR THE ROUX
100g (4oz) butter
100g (4oz) plain flour
FOR THE FILLING
25g (1oz) butter
2 onions, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
680g (1½lb) pork, cut into 1–2cm (½–¾in) cubes (shoulder or leg, fat removed)
250ml (9fl oz) chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
300g (11oz) button mushrooms, wiped and sliced or left whole or quartered if they are small
250ml (9fl oz) single cream
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
FOR THE TOPPING
300g (11oz) puff or flaky pastry, rolled to 5mm (¼in) thick
1 egg, beaten
OR
1.25kg (2lb 12oz) mashed potato (see page 27)
1 To make the roux, heat a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat and melt the butter, then add the flour, continuing to stir. Allow it to cook for 2 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and use straight away, or allow to cool and put in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F), Gas mark 3.
2 Melt the butter in a medium-sized casserole and add the onions and seasoning. Cover and sweat on a low heat for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat, add the ground spices and pork. Toss for a few minutes until the pork changes colour, then add the stock. Cover and cook in the oven for 45–60 minutes or until the pork is tender.
3 While the pork is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan on a high heat and toss in the mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes until they are pale golden and then add to the pork after 30 minutes.
4