COOK'S CLASS

RICH LAMB & TOMATO BREDIE

Stew - it's an old-fashioned term but the nostalgic thoughts of comforting flavours that it evokes make it a perennial winter favourite. 

In South Africa, my home country, this particular stew is an old Cape dish called a bredie. What gives a bredie its unique character is the long, slow simmering until the meat and vegetables melt together in the rich, full-bodied gravy. In addition to the potatoes and onion there is always a dominant vegetable such as cabbage, beans or pumpkin. To my mind the finest bredie is made with lavish quantities of sweet, ripe tomatoes and a touch of fragrant lemon peel. Serve it with a bowl of steaming rice to soak up the juices.

 

INGREDIENTS:
6 lamb shanks or 1-2 lamb chops per person
1-2 tablespoons flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 bay leaves
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp sea salt
freshly milled pepper, to taste
6 white peppercorns
1 kg ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped, or 2 x 400 g cans peeled tomatoes in juice, chopped
1 tbsp sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
(Serves 4-6)

CHECKLIST: Chopping board, deep bowl, cook's knife, wooden spoon, large ironstone casserole dish or heavy-based frypan with a tightly fitting lid, citrus zester.

 

Do use a heavy-based casserole or frying pan with a tightly fitting lid for slow gentle cooking. During the long, slow simmering, the lamb and vegetables should almost become one.

STAGE 1:
Lamb cuts suitable for stewing include shanks, neck chops and shoulder chops.

Dust lamb with flour and brown in heated oil.

STAGE 2:
Use really ripe, flavoursome tomatoes. Tinned tomatoes are a good option when you want to save time or when fresh tomatoes aren't at their best.

To peel fresh tomatoes, cut a little cross with a sharp knife on the top of each one and immerse in boiling water for 10 seconds. Peel off skin with fingers.

Cut out stem, halve tomatoes, place face down and dice. Use a large board as you don't want to waste the juices.

STAGE 3:
Add bay leaves and onions and gently cook until onions have softened.

Add salt and pepper, peppercorns, tomatoes sprinkled with sugar and lemon zest. With the clean, direct and full flavours of this stew you do not need to add many herbs and spices.  Cover and simmer for about 2 hours.

STAGE 4:
Add potatoes, cover and continue to cook for 30-40 minutes. Serve with piping hot steamed rice.

The stew can be made in advance but add the potatoes 30-40 minutes before serving.

For a delicious variation, use green beans instead of tomatoes. The basic recipe remains the same but omit the sugar. In addition you will need 1 cup well-reduced meat stock, preferably home-made. (Tomatoes have their own juices; beans do not have as much.) The stock is added after the onions have softened, then 1 kg sliced green beans is stirred in.