One pot wonders
Kitchen life doesn’t get more simple or satisfying than cooking a meal from start to finish in the same dish,
Persian baked eggs
These Persian-style baked eggs are the way to go when you’re having a relaxed slow start to the weekend. The spicy combination of red capsicum and tomato makes the perfect sauce to bake eggs on. Serves 2
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp cumin seeds, crushed
1 red capsicum diced
½ onion, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional) 1 can diced tomatoes
4 eggs
2 Tbsp sliced flat leaf parsley 1 Heat oven to 220C. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add cumin and stir for 10 seconds until fragrant.
2 Add capsicum and onion, stir for about 6 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, chilli and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick. 3 Remove from the heat and use the back of a spoon to form 4 evenly spaced wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each. 4 Place in the oven and bake eggs for 6-8 minutes or to your liking. Garnish with parsley and serve with toasted sourdough.
Slow-baked lamb and potato
In France there are many versions of this tender lamb baked with potatoes, cooked in an ovenproof dish. Traditionally it was taken to the baker, who would have sealed the dish and lid with a flour-and-water paste before slow-baking it in the oven after the day's loaves. Start this the day before.
Serves 6
600g diced lamb
1 large leek, sliced into 1cm rounds
1 large onion, sliced into thin strips
3 tsp crushed garlic
1 bouquet garni (see note)
1 ½ cups white wine
1 ½ cups lamb or beef stock
3 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp melted butter
350g agria potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Mix lamb, leek, onion, garlic and bouquet garni in a large bowl. Season with freshly ground white pepper, add wine, cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.
2 The next day preheat oven to 160C. Tip bowl contents into a colander set over another bowl, separate meat and vegetables, reserve the marinade and bouquet garni. 3 Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a large fry pan over a medium-high heat. Season lamb lightly with salt then cook in batches for 5 minutes or until well-browned all over.
4 In a large ovenproof dish, place half the lamb and half the vegetables with the bouquet garni. Make a layer with half of the sliced potatoes, brush with melted butter and season with salt and freshly ground white pepper.
5 Add remaining lamb and vegetables, pour over reserved marinade, wine and stock. Layer with remaining potatoes, brush with butter and season. Seal with foil, cover with a lid and bake for 2½ hours or until tender. Serve immediately with steamed greens or a simple vinaigrette-dressed green salad.
Steamed Chinese one-pot chicken
This classic dish is famous throughout the Yunnan province in China. Traditionally it is made in a clay pot with a chimney in the centre. It is easy to make at home using a large metal bowl sitting over a pot of simmering water. The clean, delicious flavours come from the combination of speciality ingredients, in particular, the dried red Chinese dates or jujubes, the dried goji berries and dried longan. All of these combined with the dried astragalus root (huang qi) and poor man’s ginseng are said to keep you very healthy and living longer.
Serves 3-4
½ cup dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
3 cups chicken stock
3 small skinless chicken breasts
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into discs
8 slices peeled fresh ginger
2 Tbsp dried goji berries
⅓ cup dried longan (see note)
½ cup dried Chinese dates (see note) 3 pieces poor man’s ginseng (see note) 4 pieces astragalus huang qi (see note) 2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
2 Tbsp coriander leaves to garnish
1 Drain shiitake, reserving 1 cup of liquid. Place all ingredients in a large metal bowl that will fit nicely over a saucepan. 2 Cover tightly with plastic wrap twice, then place over a saucepan half-filled with water, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. 3 Steam over medium heat for 2 hours, topping up saucepan with boiling water if necessary. Serve chicken breasts whole or sliced, spoon garnish into bowls and pour in the hot liquid. Top with a sprinkling of freshly chopped coriander.