John Torode’s Chinese beef & aubergine hotpot

No nation has mastered the art of slowcooking better than China. Simmered stews, traditionally cooked in clay pots, transform even tough and cheap cuts into something deliciously tender. My take is just the type of recipe to have bubbling away on a cold day.

Serves 8 Prep 20 mins Cook 3 hrs 30 mins

5 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

3 tbsp sunflower oil

2kg braising steak (shin is best), cut into large chunks

1 litre chicken stock

3 red chillies, halved lengthways and deseeded, plus extra sliced into rounds to serve

100g galangal (use ginger if you can’t find galangal), peeled and sliced

2 tbsp Thai fish sauce

200ml soy sauce

1 tbsp demerara sugar

6 kaffir lime leaves

3 aubergines, cut into wedges rice and coriander, to serve

1 Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Heat a large, dry casserole dishover a medium heat, toast the star anise and cinnamon until fragrant, then remove to a bowl. Add the oil to the dish, then brown the beef in batches (be careful not to overcrowd the pan). Remove to a plate.

2 Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the aubergine, to the dish, stir and bring to the boil. Return the spices and meat to the dish, skim off any fat from the surface, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hrs.

3 Remove the lid, add the aubergine and stir well, then return to the oven and cook for 1 hr, uncovered, until the aubergine and meat are tender. Rest in the dish until cool enough to eat. Scatter over some coriander and sliced red chillies, then serve with rice.

PER SERVING 389 kcals, fat 20g, saturates 7g, carbs 10g, sugars 8g,

fibre 2g, protein 38g, salt 4.3g