Braised Brisket with Guinness

A really full flavoured cut, brisket is excellent for braising, pot-roasting and boiling; it's the perfect choice for French country classic pot-au-feu. This recipe can be served at once or prepared a day ahead. If preparing in advance, let cool in the casserole, refrigerate overnight, slice the meat and return to the sauce; reheat in a 180 C (350 F) for half an hour.

Serves 6-8

1.5kg (3lb) rolled brisket
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
300 ml (10 fl oz) Guinness
350 ml (12 fl oz) chicken or beef stock
salt


Heat oven to 160 C (325 F) Gas 3. Put beef, garlic, bay, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and Guinness in a casserole; add enough stock to come no more than half way up the meat. Bring just to the boil, cover tightly with foil, put on lid and oven-braise until fork-tender, 3 hours, turning the meat half way through cooking.
Let meat rest on a warmed platter covered loosely with foil while you boil down the sauce until slightly thickened, then season to taste. Slice the meat, return to the sauce and serve hot with creamy mashed potato, steamed greens and horseradish sauce. If you have any leftovers, reheat in a 180 C (350 F) for half an hour.

Slow-Baked Lamb Shoulder

Lamb shoulder has superb flavour and slow baking delivers meltingly tender meat that falls off the bone. A great recipe to use for mutton as well as lamb.

Serves 4-6
1 lamb shoulder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
4 onions, thickly sliced
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 glass white wine
500 ml (16 fl oz) chicken stock
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Heat oven to 220 C (450 F) Gas 7. Rub lamb with salt and pepper. Put oil in a high-sided roasting tin or heavy pot big enough to take the lamb. Add onion and garlic and cook over gentle heat until soft and golden, 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Lay rosemary sprigs in tin or pot and place lamb on top. Pour in wine and stock. Cover tin or pot with a piece of foil and place in oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 150 C (300 F) Gas 2 and leave to bake for 3 hours. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and steamed, buttered carrots.

Chicken Thighs Stuffed with wild Mushrooms

Serves 4

4 Chicken thighs, boned
2 tsp salt
1tsp black pepper

for stuffing:-
1tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
200g (7oz) fresh wild mushrooms, chopped
dash of brandy
1 tsp white truffle oil, optional
salt, black pepper
extra olive oil for brushing

Essential Equipment
4-25cm (10in) pre-soaked bamboo skewers

Sprinkle salt and herbs inside chicken thighs. Heat oil in frying pan over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add garlic, shallots, thyme and mushrooms. Stir fry until wilted and starting to crisp, 5 minutes. Add brandy. Stand back from pan and set alight with a long match. Allow flames to burn out then remove pan from the heat and leave to cool completely. Stir in truffle oil if using and add salt and pepper to taste. Place boned chicken thighs skin side down; spread the mushroom mixture over the thigh. Pull the skin over to seal and thread skewer through to secure flaps. Grill according to how you are planning to cook it. Serve hot.

Outdoor
Grill over medium-hot coals, basting regularly, until meat is opaque and stuffing is cooked through, 7-10 minutes per side.

Indoor
Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F) gas 6. Brush chicken with olive oil and place on oven tray. Roast until cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

Think Ahead
Stuff chicken thighs up to 6 hours in advance. Remove from the refrigerator to room temperature before placing on the grill.

Cooks' Note
Make sure that the mushroom mixture is completely cool before stuffing. Placing hot mixture into uncooked chicken could present a health hazard when done in advance.

A bunch of herbs makes an aromatic alternative to a basting brush.
Choose robust, woody herbs such as thyme and rosemary.

Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Serves 4-6

For Paste
60g (2oz) prosciutto
6 anchovy fillets
1 handful flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2kg (4lb) leg of lamb, butterflied
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Salt, black pepper
175ml (6oz) salsa verde

Place prosciutto, anchovies, parsley, garlic and vinegar in a food processor or blender; pulse to a smooth paste. Place lamb skin side down. With a sharp knife, cut 1cm (1/2in) deep slits across the lamb about 5cm (2in) apart. Push the paste deep into the slits. Insert skewers diagonally from opposite corners through butterflied lamb. Grill according to instructions below, drizzling balsamic vinegar on both sides during cooking. Remove to a board, cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with warm salsa verde, optional.
Grill over medium-hot coals, turning once, for 15 minutes per side for medium rare or 20 minutes per side for well done.

Think Ahead
Make paste up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Prepare lamb and stuff with paste up to 1 day in advance. Double wrap in cling film and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator 45 minutes before grilling.

Cooks' Note
Skewering the butterflied lamb helps keep the meat together and also makes it easier to move on the grill.

Rosemary Peppered Pork Chops

Serves 4-6
4 pork chops, 2.5cm thick
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
3 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
or 1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp crushed chilli flakes 1 tbsp lemon juice 5 tbsp olive oil lemon wedges
Trim off excess fat from the chop. With scissors, cut snips through the remaining fat at 4cm (1 ½ in) intervals. Place garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, lemon juice and oil in a food processor or blender; pulse to a coarse paste. Rub the paste over both sides of the chops. Grill according to instructions below. Sprinkle with salt. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Outdoor
Grill over medium-hot coals until there is no trace of pink near the bone but the pork is still juicy, 8-10 minutes per side.

Indoor
Preheat a ridged cast iron grill pan over high heat. Grill until there is no trace of pink near the bone but the pork is still juicy, 8-10 minutes per side.

Think Ahead
Rub pork with paste up to 2 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.

Cook's Note
Snipping the outer fat with scissors prevents the chops from curling and shrinking during cooking, allowing them to remain flat and to cook evenly.