simple braised supper

Growing up, my Mum used to make a braised beef dish that we kids didn’t like at all. So much so that we renamed it ‘yuk’. It took a long time for me to get into ‘braising’ after that rocky start but now I love them.

per person
1/4 cup liquid
1/2 – 1 tablespoon flavouring, optional
200g (7oz) protein or veg
1-2 tablespoons butter, optional
flavour highlight

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Place liquid and flavouring in a medium sized baking dish. Add the protein or veg scatter over the butter, if using.

2. Bake for 30-45 minutes uncovered until the protein or veg are almost cooked, turning the protein / veg about half way.

3. Sprinkle over the flavour highlight if you’d like it to be cooked and continue to braise for another 10-15 minutes.

variations

protein – Chicken drumsticks or thighs, sausages, lamb chops, pork chops, tofu, canned chickpeas or beans. are a geat veggie option. Or try tofu. Fish fillets (reduce cooking time to 15-25 minutes).

veg – I’ve used fennel in the picture. Eggplant (aubergine), zucchini, sweet potato, butternut squash, mushrooms.

liquid – water, chicken stock, vegetable stock, fish stock, white wine, red wine, apricot nectar, tomato puree, canned tomatoes.

flavouring – tomato paste, soy sauce, spices (use 1 teaspoon), finely sliced garlic, preserved lemons, olives, bay leaves.

flavour highlight – cheesy – melting cheeses are best like parmesan, cheddar, blue cheese, guryere, swiss cheese.

flavour highlight – herby / spicy – thyme, rosemary, chilli, spices such as fennel seeds, smoked paprika, cumin seeds, coriander seed, curry powder.

flavour highlight – no cooking – fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, pesto, hummus, mayonnaise.

leftover potential?

Brilliant! Reheats really well. Great as a bake ahead dish and then just reheat in the oven, adding more liquid as needed.

problem solving guide

too bland – Season with salt & pepper.

too dry – Add a little water, stir well in the dish to scrape up any lovely pan pieces and cook for another 5 minutes. Or just serve with a sauce (see suggestions below).

burning – make sure the pan doesn’t dry out too much Keep an eye on it and if you think it’s starting to burn, add more water 1/4 cup at a time. Redicing the oven temp to 180C (350F) can help.

veggies too crunchy – Next time cut the veg into smaller pieces so they cook quicker

shriveled / tough protein – when protein overcooks it tends to go all wrinkly, and tough. Next time cook less, turn more often or reduce the temperature.