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I learned a very simple version of Coq au Vin that has held me in good stead and is impossible to fuck up.-Cheap dark meat chicken-handful of root vegetables-Bottle of cheap red wine-can of tomato sauce-chicken broth/bullionIf you have a dutch oven, use it, if not start with a skillet- Brown the chicken (I usually wait until there is a sale on drumsticks) with some oil. When brown either wipe out the DO or transfer to an oven-worthy pan. Toss in chopped root veggies (whatever is about to go bad -usually potato, carrot, parsnip, etc), the chicken and the liquid. You want liquid to about 3/4 cover the chicken...so just eyeball the amounts. I usually make about 2 pounds of chicken (leftovers!)- so I use a tiny can of tomato sauce, about 2 cups of broth and 1/2 of a $3 bottle Shiraz or Bordeaux. 250 degree F oven for about 2 hours. Make some egg noodles, put a piece of chicken and some veggies on top of it. Variations on this braising liquid also work great w/ flanken style ribs, pork shoulder, or pot roast.

steve wrote:This is a delicious broccoli soup that couldn't be simpler. We make a similar broccoli soup that has potatoes in it as well - you can substitute cubed potatoes for anywhere from a quarter to a half of the broccoli and follow the same instructions. For the potatoes, cut the cubes to about the same size as the broccoli stem pieces. Also very good with cheese and/or croutons on top.

I've posted this recipe before, but it's one of my favourites. For when one wants to push one's boat out:PeposoServes 6-8.2.5kg beef shin.20 cloves garlic.Lots of rosemary sprigs.2 heaped tablespoons finely ground black pepper (approx. 30 grams worth).Salt.1-2 bottles decent Italian wine. I like Chianti in this.Decent olive oil.Get a big casserole dish. Put a layer of beef shin on the bottom, cover it with pepper, sprinkle some salt on there, place a few sprigs of rosemary, drizzle with olive oil, add 4-6 cloves of garlic (peeled, unchopped). Repeat this until you have no beef shin left to layer. Pour wine over until the beef is completely covered. You can drink whatever's left.Put a lid on the dish, or cover with tinfoil if you don't have a lid. Cook for around 8 hours at 120C.Eat with big slices of ciabatta drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with garlic.

Nico, that sounds ace. Kind of like a Bourguignon without the marinating. Important to stick with the coarse beef like shin. I've seen people try stews like these with supermarket "casserole beef" which turns to mush.

Shakshuka. It might seem complicated because there's a fair few ingredients in there, but it really is quite easy and takes about 30 minutes. It's light on equipment and cheap to make, so good Uni food. Plus it is one of the most delicious things on earth.To feed two, you need:A large, shallow pan - with a lid if possible, if not you can cover with tin foilPlenty of mild oil - light olive or vegetable4 eggs2 red, 1 yellow bell pepper1 tin of good quality tomatoes (I'd recommend Cirio brand as easiest to find in UK)2tsp of brown sugar2 bay leaves4 sprigs of thyme1 or 2fresh chillis, finely chopped (depending on how hot they are and how you like it)1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds1 heaped teaspoon of ground coriandersalt, pepperWater, as requiredFresh coriander and/or parsley to garnishFeta and/or yoghurt to garnish1. Peel and halve your onion from top to bottom. Slice widthways in to strips about 0.5cm wide. 2. Core your peppers and remove all the seeds. Cut in to strips about 1cm wide.3. Pick the leaves from your thyme sprigs; do this by holding the top of the sprig, pinching your thumb and forefinger around the sprig with your other hand, and then running your hand down, thus removing the leaves.4. Place the pan on a medium heat. Heat your oil. Be generous. Make sure that the pan is well coated and a couple of mm deep. 5. Add the onions. Stir regularly to avoid burning. Cook them for around 3 mins or until golden but not burnt.6. Add the peppers, cumin seeds, chilli, bay leaves, brown sugar and thyme. Continue to fry for around 5 minutes or until the peppers have softened and seem cooked. Don't be afraid to reduce the heat if it looks like things might burn.7. Add the coriander powder, fry for one or two minutes to toast the spices.8. Add the tin of tomatoes and season generously. You need a decent amount of salt to counteract the sweetness of the sauce.9. You're looking for a reasonably liquid sauce, like a typical pasta sauce I guess. You may well need to add some water. 10. Use a spoon or spatula to make four little pockets in your sauce. Break the eggs directly in to them. 11. Cover your dish with the lid, if it has one. If not, you can just cover it with tin foil.12. Cook for around five minutes, until the eggs have poached. The whites should be solid, but the yolks still runny.13. Remove the lid and garnish with chopped coriander and/or parsley. Add a bit of yoghurt and/or feta too, if you like, for maximum deliciousness.Dish it up or just eat it direct from the pan with some crusty white bread to dip in the sauce. Or some pitta bread would work. Or I've even done it with couscous.As I said, it sounds complicated but it's really not. Once you have the hang of it it takes about half an hour from start to finish, and is just so damn tasty.Ottolenghi recipe (which I have streamlined a touch) here.

In the interest of keeping things facile and simple, this is how I roast potatoes. Hoping its intelligible:Take whatever amount of potatoes (Yukon Gold and Russets are common for roasts but it doesn't really matter, experiment with different types to discern what you like and don't like about each kind)Skin them, don't worry about precision. Its best to then chop them into pieces slightly larger than a golfball.Cover them in a pot with boiling water and make sure the water is heavily salted. As in use more than you think is necessary.When they have softened slightly (but are still firm) drain the water into a colander and make sure to jiggle them around to rough up the edges, this will create more of a crusty skin in the oven.Transfer the potatoes into an oven dish or tray and roll them around in olive oil or butter (or both). If there is a millimetre or two of oil/butter on the bottom of the tray this is beneficial. Feel free to add:rosemary, or any other herb but rosemary/thyme are favourites for me. People like to add them in the last 10 minutes of the cook so they don't burn, but fuck that. They are still good all gnarled.Garlic, use whole garlic just smashed with your palm into the table. Also add peeled garlic too, and make sure to eat itsalt and pepperYou can also use other seasonings like cayenne pepper, chilli seeds/flakes et al.Oven: 180-200 degrees 40-60mins Just watch them and don't wait for a certain time limit to pass, you know how you like potatoes so just keep an eye on it.Tips:Heavily salt the water the potatoes boil in. It enhances the flavour dramatically. Try unsalted water and then roasting potatoes with salted water and you will know the difference. They also have a better colour and are more crispy from heavily salted water. I think it has something to do with starch interacting with the sodium and being drawn out.

Broccoli lemon pasta.Needs- a broccoli, a lemon, salt. Can also have garlic, sunflower seeds/pine nuts.Chop broccoli into edible sized florets- its not important, how big or small really. Cook pasta (the longest part of the cooking). When the pasta is ready, drain it and leave it. Bit of oil so it doesn't clag. Next, pour some oil into pan, put some salt in it- just a sprinkle. Put the lid on and whack the heat up. Check it- when the oil is smoking, it's ready. Throw the broccoli in, put the lid on and shake the bastard. I mean press the lid down and take the handle and really shake that motherfucker hard like an angry British au pair for like a minute. Don't worry about it being on the heat, the oil will be hot enough in its own. It should be really green and covered in the oil when you are done. Should be cruchy, but you can't under cook it so don't worry. Mix it with the pasta, squeeze half a lemon over it, salt to taste. Try it a couple times, after you get confident with it, you can try things like chucking in chunks of garlic or sunflower seeds to the oil a few seconds before the broccoli. Olives after or raw cherry tomatoes. It's a good dish to experiment with once you have it down and mess around with flavour combinations, that kind of thing.

A classic from my grandad- Green Bean and Almond soup. Total comfort food.You'll need- butter, flaked almonds, green beans, veg stock. I'm not putting amount because it's good to get used to judging by eye and taste. Plus you can never make too much if you have a freezer.Take a chunk of butter and melt it in a deep pot. It's important to keep the heat on low for butter because it can burn easily. When it starts to bubble throw a handful of flaked almonds in and stir. Wait til they start to brown. Then throw in your green beans (which you have washed, topped and tailed and cut in half if you like). Don't let these brown, just stir them round for a couple minutes. Then put your stock in. A pint probably, but judge by eye- you can always add water. Bring it to boil once and then reduce heat right down. Cook for half an hour- an hour. You want the beans to have a bit of crunch so keep trying and again use your judgement. There's little to mess up, but don't worry if you do because that's how you learn.Serve with a lovely bit of buttered toast.

Ben Abraham wrote:Ox-Tail stew according to Jamie Oliver. Regardless of how you feel about Jamie Oliver as a person/celebrity/whatever, this recipe is delicious. Especially in the winter, Ox-Tail stew and some nice fresh Sourdough break is amazing. It's really easy to make and will last a week. It's a little time consuming though so it's probably best to do it on a weekend. 2.5 kg oxtail, chopped into 4cm chunks (ask your butcher to do this)sea saltfreshly ground black pepperolive oil2 medium leeks2 stalks of celery4 medium carrotsa few sprigs of fresh thymea few sprigs of fresh rosemary4 fresh bay leaves4 cloves2 heaped tablespoons plain flour2 x 400 g tins of plum tomatoes275 ml porter or red wineOptional:1 litre organic beef stockWorcestershire sauce Preheat the oven to 220 ºC/425 ºF/gas 7. Place a large roasting tray in the oven to preheat.Carefully remove the hot tray from the oven, then add the oxtail. Season and drizzle over a lug of olive oil, then toss to coat and place in the hot oven for around 20 minutes, or until golden and caramelized.Meanwhile, trim and halve the leeks and celery lengthways, then chop into rough 2cm chunks. Peel and chop the carrots into 2cm pieces, then place into a large ovenproof casserole pan over a medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pick, roughly chop and add the thyme and rosemary leaves, then add the bay and cook for around 20 minutes, or until soft and sweet, stirring frequently.Meanwhile, remove the oxtail from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 170 ºC/325 ºF/gas 3.Add the cloves and flour to the veg, stirring well to combine, then pour in the tomatoes and porter (or wine, if using). Add the oxtail and any roasting juices, cover with the beef stock or 1 litre of cold water and stir well. Turn the heat up to high and bring to the boil, then pop the lid on and place in the hot oven for around 5 hours, or until the meat falls away from the bone, stirring every hour or so and adding a splash of water to loosen, if needed.Remove the pan from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes. Using rubber gloves, strip the meat from the bones and return to the pan, discarding the bones. Add a good splash of Worcestershire sauce, season to taste and enjoy with creamy mash and seasonal steamed greens.Tip: Turn this stew into soup by adding a good splash of boiling water and simmering to your desired consistency. I also love this stirred through pappardelle and served with a grating of Parmesan on top “ incredible!Read more at http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef ... s3BCQQB.99This looks like a great recipe, but I think you might be trying to get the lad sprinting a bit early.

Since this thread has turned to talking about woks, it's important to mention that you can't really do the wok thing without a very high BTU gas burner, be it natural gas or LPG...and a well-ventilated cooking space. Cooking with an iron or carbon steel wok is a hot, smoky, firey affair. That's the only way to impart the é‘Šæ° that gives the food that distinct flavor.As much as I like the wok, I don't recommend doing the wok thing unless you have a kitchen or cooking space equipped to do it right.