Chicken in White Wine

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
8 free range chicken breasts, skin removed
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, thinly sliced
5 carrots, cut into chunks
6oz button mushrooms, chopped
14 fluid ounces of chicken stock
14 fluid ounces of double cream
A handfull of fresh herbs and 5 bay leaves
9 tablespoons of white wine or vermouth if you prefer

Method:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Quickly fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and place in your ovenproof casserole dish.
Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and fry the onions until they start to colour then add the carrots, celery, mushrooms and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, wine, cream, herbs and bayleaves and season to taste. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 2 minutes, gently stirring all the time.
Por the mixture over the chicken, cover with well fitting lid and place on a rack at the bottom of the simmering oven.
Simmer for one and a half hours.
Serve with sweet potatoes, mashed with butter and freshly ground black pepper and some seasonal, organic vegetables of your choice.

Pork Casserole

Ingredients (to serve 4):
4 succulent local Pork chops.
1 large onion, chopped coarsely.
4oz/100g fiels mushrooms, sliced.
2 level tbsp brown sugar.
1tbsp Worcester sauce.
Olive oil/vegetable oil or lard.
1/2 pint vegetable stock.
1 desertspoon of paprika.
2tbsp cider vinegar.
1/2 tsp English mustard.
1 tbsp flour.
salt and pepper to taste.

Method:
Sear chops in a heavy based frying pan on the hot plate until browned on both sides, then place in casserole dish.
In the same frying pan add the onions and cook until just turning brown then add the mushrooms. Cook until just soft then add the rest of the ingredients and stock and simmer until the stock thickens. Pour mixture over chops in the casserole.
Cook in simmering oven for 2 hours.
Serve with buttered oven baked potatoes and a selection of in season vegetables.

Beef'nBeer Casserole

Ingredients (to serve 4):
Sunflower oil for frying.
1 ½-2 lb chuck steak or stewing steak, trimmed of fat and cut into large chunks.
Flour for coating.
Salt & freshly ground black pepper.
2 large onion, peeled and finely chopped.
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced.
4 celery stalks, scrubbed and chopped.
½ pt beer (optional).
½ pt homemade stock (or beef stock cube) or 1pt stock if not using beer.
1 bouquet garni.
Chopped parsley to finish.

Method:
Coat  the steak in the flour. An easy way is to get a polythene freezer bag, put the flour, salt & pepper into it and then add the steak and shake.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a flameproof casserole on the boiling plate, add the steak and brown quickly on all sides. Remove the meat from the casserole with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the vegetables to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly coloured. Retun the steak to the casserole, add the liquid and bouquet garni.
Cover the casserole and bring to boil then immediately transfer to the simmering oven for 3 to 4 hours or I leave it over night if there is time. Check liquid level every so often.
To serve:
Discard the bouquet garni and check seasoning. spinkle with parsley and serve with creamy mashed potatoes and in season vegtables of choice. Ideal with your favourite red wine.