Sophie Conran’s Soups and Stews

Sophie Conran’s Soups and Stews

For Elkin, for making the sun shine every day

Acknowledgements

Thank You

Of course this book was not written by me alone and in fact the bulk of the work was done by an incredible army of angels. I would like to thank them all for being so incredibly fantastic and making the writing and production of the book such a joy.

Harriet Arbuthnot for being my bright and brilliant right hand.

Helena for being wonderful and keeping my world in order.

Felix and Coco my inspiration and for all the giggling.

Lizzy Gray for all-round fabulousness, patience and thoughtfulness.

David Loftus for the stunning pictures, a joyous shoot and friendship.

Jenny Heller for believing in me, your courage and vision.

Cheryl for all your generosity and guidance.

Charlotte and Jenny for making me look so fabulous.

Grechen, Vivian and Euan at the Laquer Chest for the gorgeous props and most welcome cup of tea in town.

Julian, Jodie and Carol at Portmeirion for being wonderful and magnificent to work with.

Rosie and Fania for giving your best.

Susanna Cook for a beautiful book.

Sarah Canet for your constant brilliance.

All my magnificent family and friends for your love.

Humungous thanks to everyone for the sensational guest recipes that have been contributed.

Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Beef

Beef And Barley Soup

Hearty Beef Soup

Oxtail Soup

Brown Windsor Soup

Burgundy Beef With Wild Mushrooms

Jerusalem Artichoke And Lemon Soup

Shabu-Shabu

Pasta In Brodo

Mr Pianim’s Beef Curry

Beef, Beer And Mushroom Stew With Cheesy Dumplings

Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf En Daube

Featherblade

Bollito Misto

Crazy Homies Exterminator Chilli

Carbonnade À La Flamande

Osso Bucco And Risotto Milanese

Lamb

Welsh Cawl

Scotch Broth

Lamb And Noodles With Seven Precious Ingredients

Aubergine, Lamb And Chickpea Soup

Lancashire Hotpot

Spiced Lamb With Beans

Lamb Shanks With Caramelised Onion

Mexican Lamb

Spanish Lamb Shoulder With Tomatoes And Olives

Irish Stew

Lamb With Preserved Lemon

Pork

Pancetta And White Bean Soup

Black Bean And Pork Belly Soup

Butternut Squash And Sausage Soup

Green Pea, Foie Gras And Pancetta Cappuccino

Cabbage And Pork Pot

Pork With Asian Spices

Lentils With Italian Sausage

Boston Baked Beans With Pork Belly

Hunter’s Stew

Cassoulet

Pork And Prune Stew

Game

Pheasant Consommé With Baby Vegetables

Split Lentil Soup With Braised Hare

Highland Games

Ribollita

Venison And Root Vegetables

Venison With Port And Plums

Irish Rabbit Stew

Daube Of Venison With Quince And Chestnuts

Pheasant With Red Cabbage

Red Duck Curry

Pheasant And Sausage Stew

Chicken

My Soothing Chicken And Noodle Soup

Cream Of Chicken Soup With Tarragon

Mexican Chicken Soup Caldo De Pollo

Mum’s Chicken Soup

(Jewish Penicillin) Soothing Matzo Ball Soup

Hot And Sour Chicken And Exotic Mushroom Soup

Coq Au Vin

Chicken And Mushroom Stew

Fragrant Chicken Stew

Chicken, Chorizo And Butterbean Stew

Caribbean Coconut Curry

Lemon Chicken With Spinach

Chicken Curry For Little Chickens

Sloppy, Spicy, Red Chicken Stew

Fish

Lobster Bonne Femme

Oyster And Watercress Soup

Langoustine And Clam Burrida

Bisque

Spicy Thai Broth With Prawns And Langoustine

Vichyssoise With Oysters

Corn Chowder

Bouillabaisse With Rouille And Croutons

Goan Prawn Curry

Gambas Pil-Pil

Jambalaya

Inky Squid Stew

Creole Prawn And Chicken Gumbo

Moules Marinières

Vegetables

Leek And Potato Soup

White Bean And Butternut Squash Soup

Watercress Soup

Soupe Au Pistou

Root Soup

Borscht

Onion Soup

Cream Of Tomato Soup

Gazpacho

Nettle Soup

Aubergine Stew With Fried Halloumi And Walnuts

Butternut Squash And Goat’s Cheese Stew

Black Bean And Red Pepper Stew

Chorizo And Butter Bean Stew

Caponata

Melanzane Alla Parmigiana

Ratatouille

Imam Bayaldi With Dill Rice

Useful Extras

Making Stock

Cooking Beans And Pulses

Many Ways With Potatoes

Index

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

Beautiful Soup, so rich and green

Waiting in a hot tureen!

Who for such dainties would not stoop?

Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!

Beautiful Soup!

Who cares for fish

Game, or any other dish?

Who would not give all else for two

Pennyworth only of beautiful soup

Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland

Soups and stews are nourishing, nurturing, satisfying and comforting. From light and delicate to filling and warming, there’s a soup or stew for every mood and occasion. A steaming pot is a delight to behold and once placed in front of you, can dissolve all the worries of the world.

The story of soups and stews is as ancient as that of cooking itself and goes back to the dawn of culinary time. Throughout the centuries, and across many cultures, soups and stews have played an important part in the world’s culinary history. Over 8,000 years ago, the first primitive tribes would boil foods together to make a sort of stew, and tribes in the Amazonian jungles used turtle shells in which to cook their meat. As for written records, some of the oldest cookbooks dating back to Roman times, contain recipes for lamb and fish stews. There is even a mention of stews in the world’s most popular book of all time, the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, Esau offers a meal of lentil stew to his brother Jakob in return for his inheritance. He must have been very hungry!

There is a fine line distinguishing stew from soup. The ingredients of a stew may be chunkier than those of a soup and retain more of their individual flavours; a stew may have thicker liquid and is more likely to be eaten as a main course. While a stew can be cooked on either the hob or in the oven, soups are almost always cooked on the hob. The choice of name is largely a matter of custom; it is often possible for the same dish to be described as soup or stew—in fact the only thing a soup can be, that a stew is definitely not, is smooth. Soups and stews take a while to cook and are best simmered very slowly, so be patient. They are wonderfully humble and inexpensive to make, mostly using the cheaper cuts of meat.

These cuts are best enjoyed once they have been cooked for hours; cook them too fast and all the flavours escape, leaving the meat dry and tasteless. You must make sure the pot never boils, but ever so slightly quivers with the occasional ‘plop plop’ of rising bubbles. I like to use organic meat, and since these dishes often require the less expensive cuts, they are within the reach of the average household budget. The beautiful thing about soups and stews is that they can nearly always be stretched a little bit further, so are accommodating if an extra guest turns up out of the blue. Plus they improve with age, as the flavours mature and become more fabulous. A three-day-old stew is a rare thing (having usually been gobbled up in minutes), but a truly delicious one.

My wonderful and inspirational mother cooked many of these warming and nourishing dishes for our family from recipes she excavated from ancient crumbling manuscripts. Ever the explorer, she resurrected magnificent dishes from an era that had never heard of convenience food nor was obsessed with fads and fashions, but was bound by the seasons, accepting no less than exceptional quality. It is these amazing meals that have become the bedrock of my own culinary landscape and adventures. Within these pages you will also find recipes from some of my closest friends and family—cooks, chefs and food-writers of immense accomplishment—and I am extremely proud to be able to include them in this collection.

The recipes in this book come from around the world, with many well-known favourites, as well as other little gems that I have adapted to be easily made at home. You’ll also find some much-loved British classics—the soups and stews of my childhood, which remain my true loves. All have been tried and tested on my hungry family and friends over the years. I use weights and measurements as a guide, but each recipe is simply my own version, so feel free to adapt, add and omit ingredients at will. Some of these recipes are as ancient as the hills and have grown and changed as they have passed through the kitchens of generation after generation of loving cooks. It seems only right that they continue to stay alive.

I hope you will enjoy making these recipes yourself, the wonderful smells, the anticipation of the loveliness to come and, finally, the joy of eating them with those who you love and cherish. Good health and happy days.

BEEF SOUPS

BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP

HEARTY BEEF SOUP

OXTAIL SOUP

BROWN WINDSOR SOUP

BURGUNDY BEEF WITH MUSHROOMS

ARTICHOKE AND LEMON SOUP

SHABU-SHABU

PASTA IN BRODO

BEEF STEWS

MR PIANIM’S BEEF CURRY

BEEF, BEER AND MUSHROOM STEW WITH CHEESY DUMPLINGS

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

BOEUF EN DAUBE

Jeremy Lee’s

FEATHERBLADE

BOLLITO MISTO

Tom Conran’s

CRAZY HOMIES EXTERMINATOR CHILLI

CARBONNADE Á LA FLAMANDE

OSSO BUCCO AND RISOTTO MILANESE

Beef

BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP

I am immensely fond of barley. I find it a soothing and comforting ingredient as it has a soft nuttiness that makes this soup ideal for calming frayed nerves.

TO SERVE FOUR TO SIX

1 tbsp olive oil

100g/31/2oz bacon lardons

2 braising steaks about 300g/11oz each

1 large carrot peeled and diced

4 shallots peeled and diced

1 rib of celery cleaned, trimmed and finely chopped

150ml/5fl oz red wine

8 juniper berries crushed

2 large handfuls of pearl barley

1/2 tbsp tomato purée

1 handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the lardons and cook until browned. Season the steaks with salt and pepper; add them to the pot and cook until browned on each side, then remove and set aside. Turn down the heat. Gently fry the vegetables with the bacon for about 5 minutes.

Return the steaks to the pot and lay them on top of the vegetables then pour over the wine. Sprinkle in the juniper berries and pearl barley, then stir in the tomato purée and cover with water. Leave to gently simmer for 2 hours, topping up with hot water if it looks like it is drying out.

Remove the steaks from the soup and stir in the parsley. Season to taste. Trim the fat from the steaks and chuck it in the bin. Slice the steaks into 1cm/1/2 inch strips and divide between the bowls. Ladle in the soup and serve with warm rolls and butter.

HEARTY BEEF SOUP

This is a real crowd pleaser and filling to boot. One of the most satisfying soups I know.

TO SERVE SIX

1 tbsp olive oil

100g/31/2oz pancetta cut into 1cm/1/2 inch cubes

300g/11oz chuck steak cut into 1cm/1/2 inch sticks

2 tbsp plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

1 handful of dried porcini mushrooms (ceps)

soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes

1 onion peeled and chopped

2 red peppers cored, seeded and cut into 1cm/1/2 inch strips

2 ribs of celery cleaned, trimmed and chopped

3 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/2 tsp harissa

300ml/10fl oz tomato passata

600ml/1 pint water

2 handfuls of Puy lentils sea salt

Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Drop in the pancetta and fry until it browns and the fat starts to run out. Remove from the pan and set aside. Meanwhile, dust the beef cubes with the flour and add them to the pan. Fry on all sides until browned, then remove from the pan and set aside with the pancetta.

Chop the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid as it is very flavourful, and add to the pan with the onion, red peppers and celery. Fry the vegetables gently until they are all soft—about 45 minutes. Keep an eye on them and give them a stir every now and again. Once the vegetables are really luscious, stir in the garlic, thyme and harissa and cook through for another couple of minutes.

Stir in the meat and the liquid from the mushrooms and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up anything that is stuck to the bottom of the pan into a sauce. Pour in the passata, water and lentils, stir through and season with a little salt. Bring to a gentle boil, cover with the lid and simmer for 2 hours, stirring every now and then. Add a little water if it starts to become dry.

Season to taste and serve with warm crusty rolls and plenty of butter.

OXTAIL SOUP

This hearty soup brings back lovely warm childhood memories for me. Even when served at school, it was a more than palatable dish that would make an afternoon on the achingly cold, muddy playing field, being whacked by a lacrosse stick, more bearable. This is best made the day before so that you can scoop off the surface fat.

TO SERVE FOUR TO SIX

2 whole oxtails jointed and trimmed of fat (ask your butcher to do this)

plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

4 carrots peeled and trimmed

4 baby turnips peeled and trimmed (optional)

8 shallots peeled and trimmed

1 leek cleaned and trimmed

2 ribs of celery cleaned and trimmed 100g/31/2oz butter

1 bay leaf

1 small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp ground allspice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toss the oxtail in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the oxtail and brown on all sides. Put half of the veg and the butter into the pan with the bay leaf and parsley. Cut the rest of the veg into cubes and keep aside for later. Fill the pan with water and stir in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée and allspice. Allow to gently simmer for 2 hours.

Remove the vegetables and bay leaf from the pan and discard. Pop the reserved chopped vegetables into the pan, lightly season with salt and cook for a further 11/2 hours. Add more water if necessary to keep the pieces of meat covered with liquid and stir every now and then, making sure it has not burnt or stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Take the pan from the heat and remove the oxtail pieces from the soup and set aside to cool. Place the soup in the fridge until the fat on top has solidified so you can scoop it off and bin it. While still a little warm, separate the oxtail meat from the bones and wobbly bits, and discard the latter. Once the fat has been removed from the soup, whiz the soup in a blender to a purée. Return the meat to the soup and heat through. Season to taste. Serve with warm seeded rolls. It’s also great with a blob of horseradish sauce on top.

BROWN WINDSOR SOUP

This is a delicious soup dearly loved by the Victorians and Edwardians. Occasionally, cooked basmati rice is added to Classic Brown Windsor just before serving.

TO SERVE SIX

1 tbsp beef dripping or olive oil

500g/llb 2oz veal shins sliced 3mm/ 1/8 inch thick

1 pinch of ground nutmeg knob of butter

1 large carrot peeled and chopped

1 Spanish onion sliced

2 leeks, white part only chopped

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 bunch of parsley chopped

1.5 litres/21/2 pints home made beef stock or consommé

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 small glass of sherry or Madeira sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the dripping or oil in a large pan with a lid over a medium/high heat. Season the veal with a little salt, nutmeg and pepper, then fry for 3 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks and place on a plate until needed. Reduce the heat and drop the butter, carrot, onion, leeks and thyme into the pan. Gently fry the vegetables, stirring from time to time for about 10-15 minutes or until soft.

Return the meat to the pot, then stir in the parsley, the stock, the bay leaf, the cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Cover with the lid and leave to very gently bubble away for 2 hours, making sure it never boils. Remove the bay leaf and set the meat aside on a plate.

Scoop the bone marrow out of the middle of the bones and drop it into the soup (it is not necessary to add the marrow if you don’t fancy it, but it does give a wonderful richness to the soup). Allow the soup to cool before blitzing it in a food processor until smooth. Using your hands, break the meat up into small pieces, discarding the bones and any globby bits. Plop the meat into the soup, heat through and stir in the Madeira or sherry just before serving. Serve with white toast and butter.

BURGUNDY BEEF WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

This French recipe brings together some of my most treasured ingredients. Lovely, hefty red wine, gorgeous earthy wild mushrooms and good country smokey bacon. They all combine perfectly to make this superb soup.

TO SERVE SIX

3 tbsp olive oil

100g/31/2oz bacon lardons cut into 1cm/1/2 inch sticks

500ml/18fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

300g/11oz shallots or pickling onions peeled

400g/14oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms

2 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped

1 handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp plain flour

400g/14oz chuck steak cut into 1cm/1/2 inch cubes

4 tbsp marc de Bourgogne or Cognac

1/2 bottle of red wine such as Burgundy or something hefty

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large pan and fry the bacon until it begins to crisp and brown. Pour the stock into a small saucepan and plop in the onions. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Lift the bacon out of the pan and set aside. Drain the onions, reserving the stock, and fry them with the mushrooms in the bacon fat until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and parsley and stir through, then cook for a couple of minutes, remove from the pan and set aside.

Mix the flour and meat in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and fry the meat on all sides until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the bowl. Pour the marc or Cognac into the pot and bubble, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up the flour that has cooked onto the bottom of the pan. Add a little of the wine if it boils dry. Keep stirring until all the flour has been incorporated into the liquid and you have a smooth sauce before adding any more wine.

Return the meat to the pan with the rest of the wine and the reserved stock and stir through. Leave to simmer gently for 2 hours. Stir every now and then and add a little hot water if it starts to get dry. Drop in the bacon, mushrooms and onions, heat through, and add hot water until it reaches your desired consistency. Season to taste and serve with slabs of country bread and fresh butter.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE AND LEMON SOUP

I find it quite remarkable that these nuggets of gnarly muddiness can result in something so sublime and luxurious as this beautiful dish. It’s like a sophisticated potato soup.

TO SERVE SIX

1/2 lemon

750g/1lb 11oz Jerusalem artichokes

3 tbsp beef dripping or 2 tbsp olive oil or butter

4 large carrots peeled and chopped

2 leeks white parts only cleaned, trimmed and chopped

1 parsnip peeled and chopped

500ml/18fl oz beef stock (see page 184)

2 handfuls of chopped fresh mint

zest of 2 lemons finely chopped salt

Fill a bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice from the lemon into it. Peel and chop the artichokes and put into the acidulated water as you prepare them—this prevents them from going brown.

Heat the dripping, oil or butter in a large pan and gently fry all the vegetables for 20 minutes, stirring every now and again.

Add the stock and 1.5 litres/21/2 pints of water to the vegetables, bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 30—40 minutes or until the vegetables are easily squashed with the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and pour about 500ml/18fl oz of cold water into the pan—this cools it all down so that it is not hot when you purée it.