Cosy cooking: six fragrant, flavourful braises and stews

The Guardian

4 days ago

Patience is its own reward when it comes to slow cooking. The smells are tantalising and the rich flavours make for great leftovers. What better way to spend a winter day?
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From marinating the beef to creating a spice bag with a muslin cloth, each step of this hearty Vietnamese classic adds another layer of flavour. As the beef, aromatics and liquids simmer away, the richness of the bò kho comes to life. Serve it with either a crispy baguette or fresh egg noodles. Pham recommends adding extra beef stock if you opt for the latter, to make it a more 'slurpable experience'.
This traditional and homely dish from Romania sings with 'sweet-tangy notes', says Georgescu. Two whole leeks (including the dark green parts) are cooked down with coriander seeds for 15-25 minutes. These are then combined with white wine, vegetable stock and chopped tomatoes. At the end, she stirs through lemon juice and olives. Georgescu serves hers with bread, burghul wheat or rice.
This one pan dish is a weeknight staple in Hayden's household, with a stamp of approval from both adults and little ones. Not only a confirmed 'lipsmacker', it's also ridiculously simple, with a base that's made up of pantry staples – black beans and chopped tomatoes. After frying all the ingredients, they bubble down together in the oven, so ensure your pan is oven safe. Hayden serves it with tortillas, sour cream and lime-y avocado, but she says 'anything goes'.
These 'pickled potatoes' are salt and vinegar chips without the packet. Although they're not actually pickled, they are cooked in a way that mimics the taste thanks to a mixture of lemon juice and cumin, turmeric and curry leaves. Place them on a bed of yoghurt rice and with some salty Indian gooseberry pickles if on hand – they're Sodha's favourite accompaniment for this dish.
A winter staple, the carrot is utilised to its full glory in this one-tray bake. 'You're getting two ingredients for the price of one,' says Hunt, who uses the leafy tops to create a tangy chermoula (a herby, oily North African sauce) to accompany the stew. The body of the carrot is separated and baked with a variety of Moroccan spices until 'hot and bubbling'. Serve straight from the tray, with couscous and yoghurt on the side.
Slow and steady wins the race in this 'uniquely Bahraini' dish, which takes at least four hours to prepare. Murad says 'all the good stuff happens' at the bottom of the pot. That good stuff includes juicy and tender chicken blanketed by spicy potatoes, onion, tomato and saffron-infused rice. The final act? When fully cooked through and settled, put a platter on top of the pan and invert the rice mixture on to it.