Stews & Casseroles - need inspiration...

[Leo35]

I am hoping to convert my two DSs to the joys of stew. They are currently casserole and stew refusniks. I am starting an evening class next week and a stew type meal would fit the the bill.

I already cook up chilli con carne, spag bol, but need some more inspiration. Particularly for lamb and pork casseroles. Anyone care to share their family faves? TIA

Oooh I love stews and casseroles - especially as the nights draw in. I'm actually collecting recipes together at the moment as when I go on mat leave I'm going to be cooking up vats of stew for the freezer. Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries is particularly strong on the old stews and casseroles if you're interested in buying a cookbook, but here are some from the internet:

My favourite beef stew is jamie oliver's beef shin stew - it's actually better the next day so excellent for making on the weekend and then heating up. The things that make it different are the dried porcini and cinnamon stick - I would also suggest the addition of a long peeling of lemon zest just before it goes in the oven which I think gives it an extra little lift and stops it going claggy.

I made this lamb casserole last winter when we got some Jerusalem artichokes in the veg box and it was very nice indeed - used extra thyme and mint, and portobello mushrooms cut up in large chunks instead of the chestnuts.

And finally my favourite vegetarian "stew" - the recipe calls itself chana punjabi but it's not a curry, it's chickpeas stewed in a mildly spiced tomato sauce. It does call for one small bird's eye chili which doesn't make it terribly spicy (especially if you double the recipe but not the chili) but I left this out once when I didn't have any and it was just as tasty - I never bother with the pureeing step but if you do want the sauce to be smooth for your DSs, use a stick blender instead of decanting into a blender and back into the pan again. If you use dried chickpeas and soak it's incredibly cheap, it's excellent fresh and even better reheated, and freezes beautifully - just stir in some fresh coriander when you reheat. Lovely served over white rice, with a dollop of plain greek yoghurt and some spicy lime pickle for grownups.

I have just bought this book

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0091938023?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1

I have cooked Boston baked beans and Caponata so far - brilliant!

They are all one pot dishes too I think

Also you asked for a pork casserole - I haven't cooked one recently but found a few recipes which I have bookmarked to try later this autumn:
Pork shoulder with leeks and green peppercorns
Pork chop and fennel pot roast
Andy the gasman's stew (this seems to be a great all-purpose whatever you've got to use up sort of recipe)

I like this pork stew - it's really easy and you don't even need to brown the meat first.

Hmmm maybe you need to give it a different name. When I meet my DH he didn't like stew. So I called it casserole for 4 years when I let slip that stew and casserole are one and the same.

This is my favourite lamb stew ever:

thedomesticgoddesschallenge.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/greek-lamb-with-orzo/

Thank you everyone for the recipes and advice.

The DSs are not fond of the texture of beef, not sure how to describe it, but it has much longer strands (shreds?) than lamb or pork which they much prefer. Texture and the look of a dish are the deciding factors for them, less so what it is called. That said I will 'big it up' and not refer to it as stew!

The lamb with orzo does look yummy, and the pasta angle may give me my in for that one. Jamie and Nigel's cookery is right up my street so I will give those recipes a go.

Many many thanks. Any more for any more???!!!

Another Jamie one here - Jools' favourite beef stew apparently! - am sure it would work just as well with lamb. yummy.