Daffodil Soup London

This is a winter warmer that gets right to the heart of slow cooking. I am introducing you to the wonders of the cartouche - essentially a layer of wet, scrunched up grease-proof paper that sits on the surface of a slow simmering stew, to keep any evaporating liquid circulating and stop the meat or surface from developing a hard, dry crust. The tagine principle, in effect. Cut a circle of GPP or baking parchment to a size just larger than the pot, scrunch it up into a ball and run it under the cold tap. I was delighted to find Galloway beef at a farm shop in the Lake District and took it as a apposite sign. Brisket is a cheaper cut of meat that is perfect for slow cooking, and it was whisked back to London and straight in to the pot. Ingredients, to serve 4 people 900g beef brisket 1 tbsp sunflower / vegetable oil 1 large onion, sliced 1 bulb fennel, sliced 2 sticks celery, sliced 2 carrots, peeled and sliced or diced 2tbsp plain flour 1 bay leaf handful of fresh chopped rosem...

Oh dear. So, having taken some considerable time out I have fallen at the blogger's very first hurdle. And I have so much to say! Life is to blame, but so is a lack of self-discipline and the realisation that a self-imposed deadline has no penalty attached. I must, and will, do better. I r eturned from Fran ce at the weekend with a rather large rabbit in my cooler box, and the casserole is now simmering away downstairs. The smells wafting up are tantalising indeed and I'm going to serve it with mashed Maris Piper potatoes and something green from the veggie drawer. Farmed rabbit, widely available, is economical, tasty and healthy, and a great alternative to chicken. Wild rabbit has a more gamey flavour, and is more of an acquired taste. I bought this one in the supermarket in Calais and it's huge - def initely enough for two meals and I'm goin g to use the other half for a terrine with wild mushrooms and fresh herbs. Slow-cooked rabbit with bacon and flageolet Fe...