Mains

Salmon with Stir-fried Vegetables

Roasted Cape Salmon with Butter & Herbs

Spicy Stove-top Fish Curry

Roasted Fish, Italian-style

Poached Fish with Lemon & Tarragon

Baked Fish Fillets on a Bed of Vegetables

Poached Fish with Anchovy Mayo & Crunchy Sage

Unbelievably Easy Fish with Salsa

Chicken, Brown Mushroom & Tomato Curry

Chicken Thighs Baked on a Bed of Vegetables

Chicken & Mango Salad

Finger-licking Chicken Wings

Chicken Casserole with Mushrooms & Red Wine

Favourite Quick Chicken

Spicy Chicken Curry

Orange Coq Au Vin

Quick Mushroom Chicken

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Spinach & Ricotta

Chocolate-Chilli Chicken

Butter Bean, Mushroom & Walnut Curry

Baked Rice & Vegetables with Omelette Topping

Chickpea Curry with Mango & Mint Raita

Green Risotto with Butternut, Pine Nuts & Asparagus

Quick Chilli Beans with Corn & Avocado

Simply Splendid Vegetable Curry

Roasted Vegetable & Pasta Party Salad

Pasta Puttanesca Salad with Basil Oil

Pasta, Bean & Rocket Salad with Pine Nuts

Pasta Stroganoff

Pasta with Smoked Salmon, Mushrooms & Cream

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes & Butternut

Saucy Pasta in a Bowl

Robust Tomato Sauce with Herbs

Beef Steaks with Red Wine & Mushroom Sauce

Fillet of Beef with a Creamy Mustard Sauce

Casserole of Veal with Brinjals & Olives

Casserole of Lamb with Mushrooms & Butter Beans

Lamb Buffalo with Peppadews

Braised Leg of Lamb

Simmered, Savoury Lamb Loin Chops

Orange Pork Chops

Salmon with Stir-fried Vegetables

If you dislike frying fish, try this one. It’s a super, stove-top dish, delicately touched with Oriental seasonings that don’t intrude on the fine flavour of Cape salmon, but it’s also good with the old faithful – hake. If you prepare the vegetables in advance, it does not take much standing over the stove, and it’s light and healthy. The one imperative: a very large pan – 28 × 6 cm is perfect.

  1. Heat the oils in that large pan and stir-fry the spring onions or leeks, ginger, carrots and beans until softening but still crunchy. (You could also cover the pan and let them steam over a low heat.) Add the cucumber and mushrooms, and toss until wilting. Stir together all the ingredients for the sauce, add to the pan and, when bubbling and thickened, reduce the heat to very low and arrange the lightly seasoned fish on top of the vegetables. Cover and allow to simmer very gently for 10–12 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the fillets to a warmed serving platter, best side up, sprinkle with almonds and spoon the saucy vegetables alongside. Serves 4.

Roasted Cape Salmon with Butter & Herbs

An amazingly effortless fish dish – no frying, no turning, no grilling. No fishy haze in the kitchen. No garnishing. It’s astonishing that it can turn out so well when almost all that is required of the cook is the making of the butter – that, and having in hand a perfect piece of thick, skinned salmon fillet, weighing 500 g. The dill and tarragon used in this recipe are dried, because all too often they are unobtainable fresh – either they’re out of season, or the supermarket is fresh out. But dried herbs, freshly bought, make an excellent butter, and the flavour of this dish is lovely.

  1. First cream the butter with the herbs and lemon rind, mixing well. Roll into a sausage-shape, wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until firm enough to slice. To bake, place the fish in a baking dish – not a big one – it should fit fairly snugly with a bit of room to spare for the juices. Pour the wine in at the side and season the fish lightly. Slice the butter into 6 coins and place them on top of the fish in two rows of three. Roast at 200 °C for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and spread any blobs of butter that have not melted, over the fish, giving it a green coating. Give a quick baste with the winey juices and return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. To serve, slice the fish into four and spoon some juices over each serving. Oven-roasted potato wedges go well with this – simply scrub and cube potatoes, season, roll in olive oil and place in the hot oven about 30 minutes before the fish. For veg, a stir-fry is great: green beans, button mushrooms, julienned baby marrows and carrots, chopped leeks – all good. This fish dish will serve 4, and is easily doubled.

Spicy Stove-top Fish Curry

The Karoo might teem with game and lamb and beef, but there’s no fish in the veld. Sometimes there isn’t any at my nearest city fish market either. Fresh out of fresh. I’m talking hake here, which is good for a curry – and so this recipe uses frozen, and very satisfying it is too, in a thick, bright, fairly hot sauce. Good with basmati rice (add a touch of turmeric when cooking) and serve with yoghurt and cucumber.

  1. Heat the oil and butter in a very large frying pan, add the onion, chilli and garlic and, when softening, add the spices, stirring for a few seconds over low heat. Place half the stock, the tomatoes plus juice and the baby marrows in a blender and pulse briefly to chop and mix to a chunky consistency. Add to the pan, together with the chutney, bay leaves, tomato paste and a little sugar to offset the tart tomatoes. (The mixture will look very ‘seedy’ at this stage, but don’t worry, it will smooth out to create a thick and succulent sauce.) Cover and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes to concentrate the flavour. Dust the fish lightly with seasoned flour, shaking off any excess, and slide into the sauce – at this stage it will be very dense, so add the remaining 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) stock – you may even need a little more. Keeping the heat low, cover and simmer until the fish is cooked right through – turn once, carefully. The cooking time depends on the size of your pan and the thickness of the fillets. Remove the bay leaves, and sprinkle with fresh coriander. Serves 4.

Roasted Fish, Italian-style

I’ve never eaten this dish in Italy and possibly the Italians haven’t either, but it’s as good a name as any for fish teamed up with Mediterranean ingredients. It’s a favourite, this one, rating tops for simplicity and flavour. Only a few special ingredients are required, but they are important to ensure that the dish ends up as it should – succulent, flavoursome, and so satisfying that you don’t need pasta or potatoes or anything but a green salad to accompany it.

  1. Arrange the fillets, skin-side down, in a large baking dish or roaster, base-lined with baking paper. Be sure to leave plenty of room round the sides for the vegetables. Sprinkle the fish with a little lemon juice. Toss together the tomatoes, spring onions, dried herbs and mushrooms and when well mixed, scatter all round the fish – not on top. Sprinkle everything with salt, then mix the oil and wine and pour that over everything. Sprinkle the fish with a little of the cheese and then with pine nuts – just 5 ml (1 tsp) will do, per fillet. Now roast, uncovered, just below the centre of the oven at 200 °C for about 25 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the tomatoes and mushrooms have started to shrivel and release their juices. Serve right away. Serves 4.

Poached Fish with Lemon & Tarragon

This is stove-top fish without any frying; the subtle, delicately flavoured sauce in no way spoils the purity of fresh, white fish fillets and it’s easy enough to serve for a supper treat when everyone is tired of fish and chips. Furthermore, both the stock and the butter can be put together in advance, leaving only the fish requiring last-minute attention. You can serve it on mash – or leave off the starch and present simply with a mixed salad or stir-fried veg.

  1. Bring the lemon rind, tarragon, water, wine and salt to a slow boil in a very large, wide-based frying pan, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Gently slide in the fish fillets, cover the pan, and poach gently until just cooked and the flesh flakes easily. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a serving dish. Mash the mustard, flour and butter to a paste and add to the pan in single pats, while stirring. When thickened and smooth, swirl in the cream, then drizzle the sauce over the waiting fish. Serves 6.

Baked Fish Fillets on a Bed of Vegetables

This is a splendid way of transforming hake into something quite special without any fuss, frying or fancy ingredients. It’s a good and useful recipe, which can be used with other kinds of fish as well, except for oily fish like snoek. Although hake seems to pop up mainly in fish pies or under a coat of batter, it’s first choice here because its delicate flavour responds to this kind of treatment, and, being non-oily, it can take the topping of cheese and juicy sauce.

  1. Brush a large baking dish with oil and arrange the onion slices in a single layer to cover the base. Top with the sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with the seasonings and dried herb of choice. Drizzle with the oil and wine, then bake uncovered at 180 °C for 15 minutes. Place the fish on top of the semi-soft vegetables, sprinkle lightly with lemon juice and salt, then top with cheese and a flurry of paprika. Pour the extra wine round – not on – the fish and bake, uncovered, at the same temperature, for about 20 minutes or until the fish is just cooked, the cheese melted, and the vegetables soft and juicy. To serve, spoon the veg over each fillet, or alongside, and serve with baby potatoes tossed in garlic butter, and a green vegetable – broccoli is good because of the bright colour. Serves 4.

Poached Fish with Anchovy Mayo & Crunchy Sage

This is a super alternative to that cold buffet special: a big, whole fish with head and tail on, the eye looking at you, and the body covered with sliced cucumber. In any case, not everyone has a big enough utensil for poaching a big, whole fish. For this recipe you need just a side of fish. Kabeljou (kob) is first choice. Slowly simmered in a delicate court bouillon, cooled, drizzled with the dressing and topped with fried sage leaves, it’s deliciously different, and much easier than it sounds. You do need a very wide pan in which the fish can lie flat, and a side of kabeljou weighing 600–700 g, but otherwise it’s plain sailing.

  1. Bring all the bouillon ingredients to the boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes – you can do this in advance and leave to cool and draw flavour.
  2. Place the fish, skin-side down, in your largest pan so that it lies flat. Strain the bouillon over the fish (it should be almost covered) and poach very, very gently until just cooked and opaque – white, no longer pink (add a dash of verjuice to the liquid if you have some handy). When done, remove from the heat and leave to cool in the bouillon. Use a spatula to transfer the fish, very carefully, to a large serving platter and drizzle with the anchovy mayo.
  3. For the anchovy mayo, soak the anchovies for about 15 minutes in a little milk to tone down the salty flavour. Mix the remaining ingredients, then snip in the anchovies – you won’t need the whole can, but most of it. Whisk to ‘melt’ a little – don’t whizz in a blender – and leave the dressing slightly speckled. Drizzle over the fish, then sprinkle with 60 ml (4 Tbsp) chopped flat-leaf parsley mixed with 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) finely grated lemon rind. Scatter the sage leaves over.

Unbelievably Easy Fish with Salsa

This is quite the most fuss-free and unpretentious dish – the sort of recipe one likes to turn to because it’s so reliable and comfortable, like an old slipper. All you need is fresh hake and four ingredients to roll it in. Then, to jolly up the colour and flavour, quickly stir up a SALSA – avos and peppadews – and that’s it.

  1. Using a fork, mix the oil, soy sauce, wine and lemon rind on a large plate. Turn the fish fillets in the mixture several times to coat them well, then place in a baking dish lined with baking paper and pour over any remaining soy mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 200 °C for about 20 minutes, until just cooked through. If the juices have run, spoon them over the top of each fillet when serving, and pass a salt grinder – the soy sauce may season the fish sufficiently, but then again it may not, depending on the brand.
  2. To make the salsa, snip enough peppadews (drained, rinsed) to give you 45–60 ml (3–4 Tbsp). Gently mix with the remaining ingredients, pile into a small bowl and serve with the fish. Serves 4.

Chicken, Brown Mushroom & Tomato Curry

The favourite.

  1. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and brown the chicken on both sides – fry skin side first to release the fat. Transfer to a large baking dish and remove the crisped skins – this allows the chicken to absorb the flavours better and avoids a greasy sauce. Turn skinned sides down and season lightly. The thighs should fit fairly closely, but allow space for the chunky sauce – a deep, 28 × 22 cm dish is just right. Add the onion, garlic, all the ground spices and the ginger to the pan drippings and sauté briefly over low heat – if the drippings are quickly absorbed, add a dash of water. Add the mushrooms, toss until mixed with the spices, then add the remaining ingredients, except the coriander. Bring to the boil, stirring, then pour over the chicken – the pieces should be almost completely covered. Tuck the cinnamon and bay leaves right in, cover securely (grease-proof paper and then a sheet of foil) and bake at 160 °C for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn the chicken and bake, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes or until tender and the sauce is nicely reduced. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the thighs to a heated serving dish, remove the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks from the sauce, swirl in the coriander, pour over the chicken and serve with a fragrant rice and thick yoghurt – plain, or spiked with grated radishes and a chilli or two. Serves 4–6.

* Home-made curry powder can be spicy enough, so if this is what you’re using, don’t be too generous with the above additions.

Chicken Thighs Baked on a Bed of Vegetables

There’s a lovely harmony of tastes and textures in this bright chicken dish, which is initially baked covered, to seal in all the flavours and juices, and then uncovered in order to brown the chicken. The completed dish is a picture to make your mouth water – and although the assembly time is quite lengthy, once it’s done you can relax.

  1. Use a very large, deep baking dish, round about 36 × 26 × 5 cm. Add all the vegetables, toss with 45 ml (3 Tbsp) of the oil (use your hands), and when glistening, season and tuck in the rosemary. Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, on the vegetables, not too close to each other, and push them down very gently – they must not be smothered. Salt them lightly and sprinkle with paprika and oregano. Cover securely, first with a sheet of greaseproof paper and then foil, and bake at 160 °C for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is gloriously brown and tender, in a succulent sauce. Remove the rosemary, and serve the chicken and veg on rice or couscous to soak up the juices. Don’t forget to locate the garlic cloves: place two on each plate so that diners can squeeze the mellow flesh into the vegetables. Serves 6.

* If using one large brinjal it should be dégorged: scrub, cube, sprinkle with salt, place in a colander with a weight on top, leave for about 40 minutes while the bitter juices run out, then rinse well and dry thoroughly (a salad spinner does the job perfectly).

Chicken & Mango Salad

An eye-catching combination of bright ingredients goes into this salad of chicken poached in apple juice, mixed into a creamy curry sauce together with fresh mangoes, and finished off with nuts and coriander. It’s as good as it sounds, is not difficult to prepare, and can be made in advance and refrigerated overnight. Serve with a rice or couscous salad and a mild fruit chutney – atchars would be too strong for the delicate flavour of this salad.

  1. Poach the chicken gently in apple juice with the cloves, salt and cinnamon for about 10 minutes, or until just cooked. Cool in the stock, then slice the chicken into thin strips across the grain. Strain the stock and reserve. To make the dressing, heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the onion and let it soften without browning. Add the spices and sizzle for a minute, then add the reserved stock and simmer uncovered until the mixture thickens – this happens quite quickly. Press through a sieve, discard the onion, and stir the smooth sauce into the mayonnaise mixed with the sour cream or yoghurt. Fold in the chicken, then the mango, spoon into a glass container, cover and refrigerate. Before serving, check the seasoning and, if too sweet, sharpen with a little fresh lemon juice. Spoon onto a beautiful platter, and garnish with the nuts and a generous sprinkling of coriander leaves. Serves 6–8.

Finger-licking Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are often neglected – I suppose because there’s not much meat on them – but they’re succulent and jolly useful. In the following recipe they’re marinated in a barbecue-type sauce, which adds great colour and flavour. Once cooked, they can be served as an economical main course with the juices spooned over, accompanied by baked potatoes and sour cream; alternatively, drain off the juices and serve with drinks; or grill over the coals and pass them round for nibbling, to appease appetites.

  1. Remove the wing tips if your butcher has not already done so, then pull the wings apart and cut through at the joint, making two pieces. Be careful not to cut through the bone, leaving a jagged edge, but at the precise point where the joint separates. Arrange in a single layer in a large glass or porcelain baking dish – 30 × 24 cm is ideal. Mix the remaining ingredients, except the salt and pepper, pour over the wings and leave to stand for 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 6 hours, turning several times. Unless using a fridge-to-oven baking dish, return to room temperature before baking. Season very lightly, and bake, uncovered, at 180 °C for 25 minutes. Turn the pieces over and add a little water to the baking dish if necessary, to prevent scorching. Reduce the heat to 160 °C and bake for a further 25 minutes, or until tender, browned and juicy. Makes about 32 pieces, serving 5–6 as a main.

Chicken Casserole with Mushrooms & Red Wine

An unpretentious but deliciously satisfying chicken dish, with a full-bodied flavour. The ingredients are quite basic, and the preparation not too quick, but straightforward.

  1. Cut a cross through the root end of each pickling onion, arrange in a single layer in a large frying pan, half-cover with cold, lightly salted water, add a pinch of sugar and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes, then drain and set aside. (Don’t boil rapidly, or overcook, as they must retain their shape.) Smear the base of a frying pan with a little oil and lightly brown the chicken on both sides – do the skin side first, to release the fat. Arrange the thighs, skin side up, in a baking dish to fit, and sprinkle with salt and paprika. Cover with a lid, or a sheet of greaseproof paper and then one of foil, and bake at 160 °C for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add the chopped onion and red pepper to the pan drippings and sauté briefly. Add the mushrooms and thyme and a little extra oil if necessary, and stir-fry until softened. Sprinkle in the flour, tossing to mix, then add the remaining ingredients, stirring until the sauce thickens. Remove the chicken from the oven, uncover, and pour off the fat. Pour the sauce over, and tuck in the parboiled pickling onions. Cover as before and bake for a further 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Serves 4–6.

Favourite Quick Chicken

This lemony, herby, spicy chicken (memories of the Med) is just the best when it comes to kitchen blues. When dinner is required and you are absolutely not in the mood for pots and wooden spoons, your energy is flagging and you’d rather be in the garden, let this recipe save you.

  1. Arrange the chicken in a baking dish to fit closely. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade, pour over the chicken and refrigerate for 1–4 hours, turning a few times. Unless using a fridge-to-oven baking dish, return to room temperature before baking. Arrange the thighs skin side up, salt lightly, and bake, uncovered, at 160 °C for 45 minutes. Baste with the juices in the dish, then continue baking for a further 25 minutes or until the chicken is browned and tender. Transfer to a warmed platter and pour the juices over. Serves 4.

Spicy Chicken Curry

A perennial favourite, abundantly perfumed and flavoured.

  1. Mix the flour, salt and masala, rub it into the chicken, arrange in a lightly oiled baking dish to fit quite snugly and sprinkle over any remaining flour mixture. Heat the oil, add the onions and garlic and fry lightly, then add all the spices and stir over low heat until the aroma escapes – if necessary, add a dash of water to prevent scorching. Add the remaining ingredients, except the garnish, stir while heating through, then pour the sauce over the chicken. Check that the spices lie in the sauce and not on top of the thighs, then cover securely with a lid or a sheet of greaseproof paper and then one of foil, and bake at 160 °C for 45 minutes. Turn the chicken, cover again, and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove the whole spices and bay leaves, transfer to a heated serving dish and sprinkle with coriander leaves. Serves 4–6.

* Skinless thighs absorb flavours readily and ensure a non-fatty sauce.

Orange Coq Au Vin

A simplified version of the classic dish, with a new flip to the flavour.

  1. Heat the oil and butter and brown the chicken on both sides. Remove to a baking dish – not too large, or the sauce will boil away, but large enough to take the rather bulky ingredients. Season. Over low heat, toss the bacon, onions and garlic in the pan drippings and, when the onions are lightly browned, sprinkle in the flour and the thyme, crushed between the fingers. When absorbed, add the remaining ingredients, except the mushrooms and garnish. Stir until boiling, then pour the sauce over the chicken, tucking in the onions. Cover securely with a lid or with a sheet of greaseproof paper and then one of foil, and bake at 160 °C for 1 hour 15 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Use a paper towel to blot up any little greasy blobs, remove the bay leaves and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4–5.

Quick Mushroom Chicken

An old-timer, slipped in again because it’s so eternally useful: breast fillets quickly simmered in a delicately flavoured sauce with a hint of tarragon and sherry, and a little cream to round it off. The whole operation takes about twenty minutes and this makes the dish a real pleasure to prepare at the end of a busy day. Instead of reducing the sauce by rapid boiling, it is thickened with cornflour – not a gourmet practice, but convenient, and the breasts turn out plump and succulent. So it’s easy, and good.

  1. You’ll need a really large frying pan so that nothing need be done in relays. Heat the oil and butter, make three diagonal slashes on the skinned sides of the breasts, and quickly seal on both sides; don’t brown them – they should just turn white on the outsides and remain very pink underneath. Remove from the pan, reduce the heat, add the spring onions, tarragon and sherry, stir until almost evaporated, then add the stock, tomato paste, mushrooms and salt. Stir until just bubbling, then return the chicken, cover, and simmer over very low heat for about 10 minutes or until just cooked through, turning once. Slake the cornflour with the cream, add to the pan and simmer for a minute or two to make a medium-thick sauce, stirring gently to combine. Check the seasoning. Serves 6.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Spinach & Ricotta

There are four steps to this recipe: mixing the stuffing, slipping it into the breasts, making the tomato sauce, then adding the chicken and simmering until cooked. This does take a little time, but the result is a different way with chicken breasts using Italian-style ingredients. Plenty of flavour and colour, and good with buttered noodles and a green salad.

  1. Pour boiling water over the spinach, leave to stand for 5 minutes, then drain very well in a colander; press down hard with a wooden spoon until absolutely dry – pat with a paper towel to make sure – then chop – you should have 60 ml (1⁄4 cup) packed solid. Using a fork, mash the spinach with the ricotta and seasonings. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep vertical slit in the plump side of each chicken breast, being careful not to puncture the flaps. Ease open, and smooth a heaped tablespoon of the stuffing into each pocket, then close the flap and pinch securely – no need to skewer. If working ahead, refrigerate. Make the tomato sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a very large pan, wide enough to take the breasts later on, without crowding. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fairly thick and the flavours have mellowed – salt is not usually necessary. Carefully add the chicken, ladle some sauce over each breast, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn carefully, then continue to simmer until cooked through – about 20 minutes altogether. Serve the chicken on heated plates with the sauce spooned over, and topped with a sprinkling of cheese to round it all off. Serves 6.

Chocolate-Chilli Chicken

The chilli bites only slightly, the chocolate is only subtly there, but the combination of ingredients adds up to an unusual medley of flavours that come as a happy surprise, because the dish looks like chicken in a richly-coloured sauce … yet it definitely is more than that. Serve with couscous and a green salad with avo, and use skinless chicken thigh fillets. They are available, and the dish is simply not the same using other cuts.

  1. Place the stock, chillies, tomatoes, spring onions or leeks, spices and seasonings in a blender goblet and whizz until well mixed – it won’t be absolutely smooth. Pour into a large jug and stir in the almonds and chocolate. Smear a very large, wide frying pan with oil and seal the chicken quickly on both sides (keep them doubled over to save space). Pour the sauce over, bring to the boil (smell the chocolate), then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently until tender and cooked through – about 30 minutes – these little nuggets do not take long. The next step is a bit of a nuisance, but necessary. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken, turn the heat up and reduce the sauce by rapid boiling – it becomes bubbly and suitably thickened very quickly. Return the chicken and sprinkle with lots of coriander. Serves 5–6.

Butter Bean, Mushroom & Walnut Curry

This easy, stove-top dish with its rather unusual ingredients is just fabulous. It has quite a lively tang, and a rather surprising colour – pale caramel – which looks surprisingly good on fragrant yellow rice. It’s easy to double up on the ingredients, which might be a wise step, as second helpings are usually called for.

  1. First make the sauce by heating the oil in a wide-based, heavy saucepan or large frying pan. Add the onion and chilli and fry very lightly, then add the spices and sizzle for a minute. Sprinkle in the flour, stirring to mix and adding a dash of water if dry, then slowly stir in the stock and milk. Allow to thicken over low heat, then add the seasoning and tomato paste. Cover and simmer, keeping the heat low – the sauce should just pop – for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms, red pepper and walnuts in 15 ml (1 Tbsp) each oil and butter until the mushrooms are just softening but still chunky, then stir them into the sauce along with the beans, and simmer until heated through, OR omit this step and simply add these ingredients to the sauce and simmer until the mushrooms are cooked. Check the seasoning, and add a little extra stock if necessary – the mixture should be really moist – and add a dash of lemon juice to sharpen the flavour. Serve with chutney and a green salad. Serves 4–5.

Baked Rice & Vegetables with Omelette Topping

In this meatless dish (absolutely bursting with good things), the vegetables are first sautéed and then baked with the uncooked rice and herbs, resulting in maximum flavour with the minimum of fuss and a lovely aroma while it is in the oven. The omelette, sliced into strips for the topping, finishes it off beautifully. Serve with a tossed green salad.

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan and lightly fry the onion, leeks and garlic. Add the mushrooms, carrots and celery and stir-fry for a few minutes until glistening, smelling good and starting to soften. Spoon into a 20 × 30 cm baking dish, add the rice, parsley, stock, seasoning and herbs, stir to mix well, then cover and bake at 160 °C for about 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the stock absorbed. Fork in the soy sauce, almonds and butter.
  2. OMELETTES
  3. Make these a few minutes before the dish is done. Lightly mix 8–10 free-range eggs with a little water, salt and pepper. Cook half the mixture in an omelette pan (or lightly oiled frying pan) at a time. When just set, tilt the pan and roll the omelette over a few times, slide onto a plate and slice thinly; cook the second omelette, and arrange the slices on top of the rice dish as it comes out of the oven. Serves 6.

* A good mixture: rosemary, thyme, marjoram and oregano.

Chickpea Curry with Mango & Mint Raita

A mild, spicy, super vegetarian dish; serve on fragrant rice.

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, garlic and yellow pepper and, when softening, add all the spices. Stir briefly to release the flavours, adding, if necessary, a dash of water to prevent scorching. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the cashews, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer very gently for about 35 minutes. Stir occasionally to mash up the tomatoes. Check seasoning, and if the sauce needs thickening, tilt the lid of the saucepan for the last few minutes. Remove the bay leaves, spoon into a heated serving dish and top with the cashews, if using. Serves 4–6.

* A 400 g can (plus the juice) could, at a pinch be substituted, but in this case you will probably have to reduce the amount of stock by about 125 ml (1⁄2 cup).

Mango & Mint Raita

For the raita, mix 250 ml (1 cup) thick Bulgarian yoghurt (low fat or fat free), a few chopped spring onions, a pinch of salt, about 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) diced, ripe mango and shredded fresh mint leaves (start with 12) in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate while the curry cooks. Just before serving, sprinkle with garam masala.

Green Risotto with Butternut, Pine Nuts & Asparagus

An unusual risotto, a novel colour, and a memorable taste experience.

  1. Cook the butternut in the minimum of salted water – use a wide frying pan, spread it out in a single layer, sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle with honey, and simmer until just tender. Set aside. Blend the stock and cooked Swiss chard in a blender (probably in two batches) until smooth and about as green as lucerne. Heat it. Soften the onion in the oil and butter in a large, deep saucepan, add the rice and nutmeg, toss to coat, then add the hot stock slowly, in small doses, waiting until each dose is absorbed before stirring in another. Don’t hurry the process – be prepared to stand there for about 30 minutes, by which time the rice should be creamy. Carefully fold in the butternut plus any juices left in its pan, then, off the heat, fold in the cheese and salt to taste. Cover with a cloth and leave for a few minutes before ladling into deep bowls or soup plates. Pass the asparagus and pine nuts in separate bowls. Extra parmesan makes a good but optional addition. Serves 6, with a salad.

Quick Chilli Beans with Corn & Avocado

This is one of those speedy suppers that doesn’t fall down on flavour despite the haste. You simply mix the ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan, and while they’re in there simmering you open the beans and slice the avocado. Best served on couscous, but brown rice is also good.

  1. To make the sauce you’ll need a large, deep frying pan as the beans get added to it and butter beans are voluptuously plump. Combine the chillies, green pepper, tomatoes, garlic, sugar, onion, water, vinegar and salt in the pan. Stir to mix, bring to the boil, immediately reduce the heat, cover and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the beans and the corn and simmer for 5–10 minutes, until very hot. Check seasoning, turn into a heated serving dish, top prettily with the avo (which is not a garnish, it is important to the dish), grind over the pepper and serve. I also like a splosh of yoghurt on the side – it cools the chilli and the colour contrast is pleasing. Serves 4, easily doubled.

* Chillies differ enormously with regard to heat – it depends on the colour, the size, and whether you add the seeds or not. The amount and type of chilli used here depends on the choice of the cook, so it’s a good idea to swot them up.

** These differ slightly in density from cans of whole peeled tomatoes – they are interchangeable, but you might have to adjust the quantity of liquid in the recipe.

Simply Splendid Vegetable Curry

This one would feel right at home in the Karoo – simple country cooking, using pumpkin and sweet potatoes and spices and chutney – all adding up to a fragrant supper dish on one of those winter evenings when, if you set foot outside, the air will bite your nose and freeze your fingers off.

  1. Heat the oil and butter in a very large, deep frying pan (about 28 × 7 cm) and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger. Add the spices and cook for a minute, then add the pumpkin (or butternut) and sweet potatoes, and toss to mix with the spices – add a dash of water if the mixture seems dry. Add the remaining ingredients except the broccoli, lemon juice, cashews and garam masala. Stir to mix, then cover and simmer over very low heat for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are nearly cooked. Gently stir in the broccoli and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, but holding their shape and the juices reduced and slightly thickened. Much depends on the size of your pan – you might have to add extra stock – up to 250 ml (1 cup). Add a dash of lemon juice to bring out the flavour, remove the cinnamon, spoon the curry into a large, heated serving dish and top with the nuts and a sprinkling of garam masala. Serves 6.

* Be sure to use a pumpkin that has firm, bright orange flesh – if yours is pale and watery, put it away – and reach for a butternut instead.

Roasted Vegetable & Pasta Party Salad

A magnificent party salad: a medley of vegetables, marinated in oil with fresh herbs, roasted until succulent, then tossed with pasta. It can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Serve mounded on a platter, dotted with black olives and crumbled feta, with a warm flat bread on the side.

  1. Place the brinjals, yellow peppers, baby marrows, mushrooms and leeks in a very large porcelain baking dish, about 27 × 22 × 7 cm. Mix the oils, garlic, lemon juice, salt and sugar and pour over. Tuck in the herbs and toss to mix everything together, then cover and leave to stand for about 2 hours, tossing when you think of it. Roast, uncovered, at 220 °C for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss to mix, then reduce the temperature to 180 °C and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the vegetables are juicy and tender. Discard the stalks of herbs – most of the leaves will have fallen off, adding their flavour to the juices. Steam the broccoli until just tender, and drain. Cook the pasta, then drain. Mix these with the vegetables and set aside to cool. Garnish as suggested above and serve at room temperature, or refrigerate (in glass) overnight, then garnish just before serving. Serves 8–10.

Pasta Puttanesca Salad with Basil Oil

This zesty pasta dish is usually served hot, but it also makes a vibrant salad – great at a summer buffet or patio supper. Puttanesca sauce is a rather strange mixture – plenty of the ubiquitous tomatoes, but with anchovies, chillies and olives making it rather different from most pasta sauces, while the dark, dense basil oil is a personal twist that adds both richness and flavour.

  1. Using a wide-based frying pan, heat the olive oil with the oil from the drained anchovies. Add the spring onions or leeks and garlic and stir for a minute, then add the remaining ingredients, except the pasta. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, stirring often until it has thickened. Taste. If not hot enough, add a sprinkling of crushed dried chillies. Simmer 10 minutes more. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, drain and turn into a large serving dish. Add the sauce, toss to combine well, then stand uncovered to cool – the sauce will gradually be absorbed. Cover and leave for up to 2 hours, or turn into a glass bowl and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Blend all the basil oil ingredients well – the result will be a dark, strongly flavoured oil, which really adds something special to the salad. Pass round in a jug, to be trickled (sparingly) over each serving. (Can also be refrigerated overnight.) You could also pass a bowl of grated pecorino, which would make the meal really rich and robust. Serves 6.

* Used for convenience as these cans are readily available.

** This might seem like a lot of sugar, but canned tomatoes are tart and really need long, low simmering to mellow them. As the cooking time in this recipe is relatively short, you will need a little extra sweetness.

Pasta, Bean & Rocket Salad with Pine Nuts

A bright, succulent mixture of colourful fusilli tossed up with stir-fried vegetables; added substance comes from the borlotti beans, and lots of flavour from the rocket, cheese and nuts. Super for lunch, with a leafy salad and a hunk of flat bread.

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the spring onions, garlic, red pepper and baby marrows and stir-fry for a few minutes before adding the mushrooms. Toss until softening, then remove from the stove, season, and add the vinegar. Tip the just-cooked and drained (not rinsed) pasta into a large bowl, add the beans, the stir-fry mixture with all its juices, and the rocket. Toss gently until combined, cool, then cover loosely and leave for an hour or so.** Just before serving, fork in the cheese and check the seasoning. Serve on a big platter, topped with the nuts. Serves 6.

* The pine nuts are not listed as a garnish as they are an integral part of the salad, but because they’re so expensive you want to see them, and that is why they’re on top. When roasting, do it properly – that is, let them get really nut-brown – it makes a huge difference to the flavour.

** This salad should be served at room temperature. If you have to make it in advance, it can be refrigerated (covered) for up to a day, but it will lose out on the fine flavour.

Pasta Stroganoff

Also known as Slimmer’s Stroganoff because the sour cream used in traditional stroganoff has been left out, but it’s actually nowhere near a slimming dish – what mix of fried steak in a thick, creamy gravy can possibly be? Nevertheless, it has its virtues: it stretches a little fillet to feed a lot, it’s a change from bolognaise, and the flavour is good. Serve on tagliatelle or fettucine, with a big green salad for a no-frills party dish.

  1. Slice the beef across the grain into wafer-thin strips – most easily done if the beef is semi-frozen. Place in a large, shallow dish, add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic and thyme, toss to mix, then cover loosely and leave to stand for 45 minutes. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and stir-fry the steak briefly, until just browned, tossing all the time. Add the mushrooms and spring onions, and keep tossing over medium heat until softening, then turn the heat to very low and add the milk, tomato paste, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Stir to mix, then cover and simmer very gently for 4–5 minutes. Mix the cornflour with the sherry, stir into the pan and allow to boil up, stirring, until the sauce has smoothed out and thickened. Serves 6.

Pasta with Smoked Salmon, Mushrooms & Cream

I’m not a fan of smoked foods, but salmon is my downfall. Eat it with pasta in a restaurant, however, and it is often so richly extravagant one would not consider making it at home – not often, anyway. Now this recipe was devised with an eye to scaling the whole lot down – mushrooms to pad it out and milk and cornflour (I blush, I blush) to dilute the cream – and it really works rather well despite the liberties taken.

  1. Put the mushrooms and spring onions into a large saucepan. In a separate bowl, stir together the cream, milk, wine, tomato paste, salt and cornflour until smooth, then mix into the mushrooms. Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, over low heat for about 10 minutes until thick and creamy. Stir in the salmon and heat through. Cook the pasta while the sauce is simmering, then drain and place in a large, heated serving dish. Pour the sauce over the top, toss until combined, and serve immediately with a dressed salad, passing a pepper mill at the table. Serves 6.

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes & Butternut

This pasta dish is a real treat. Only a few ingredients required, and little effort involved, but the result is brilliantly flavoured, colourful, and quite different from most pasta and veg combinations.

  1. Place the tomatoes and butternut in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer – 32 × 25 × 6 cm is just right. Moisten them with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the oregano, salt and sugar. Roast at 200 °C for about 30 minutes – the tomatoes should be wrinkled and the butternut soft. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, drain well, mix in the pesto, then tip into the roasted vegetables in the baking dish and combine everything gently. Top each serving with shaved pecorino cheese and roasted pine nuts, and if you pass a flat bread and some olive oil for dipping, you’ll have a hugely satisfying meal. I also add a bowl of undressed salad leaves – the crunchy freshness is welcome, as the rest of the meal is very generous with oil. Serves 4–6, depending on the amount of pasta and pesto you wish to use.

* This variety of plum tomato has a deep red colour and is the size and shape of a hen’s egg.

** See page 27, or use your favourite pesto.

Saucy Pasta in a Bowl

There are times when you have a craving for pasta but you have done pasta with pesto, pasta with olives, pasta with garlic and oil and herbs so often that you can taste everything in your head without going near the kitchen. There are times when you just want to put everything into a pot and go away. That’s when this fuss-free dish comes in useful. It’s not a mean or a lean meal – it can’t be, seeing it requires pecorino and pine nuts – but the chunky vegetable sauce is a simple doddle.

  1. Put the mushrooms, onions, garlic, baby marrows, red pepper, wine, stock, oregano and salt into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat immediately, stir to mix, then cover and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and mingled into a succulent, dark sauce. Mash the flour and butter to a paste and add it in small pats, stirring – you might not need all of it, it depends on how much of the liquid has simmered away – use just enough to thicken the sauce to just coat the pasta. Serve in deep bowls – first the pasta, then a ladleful of sauce, with the cheese, nuts and olive oil passed separately. The end result is hugely satisfying, so no bread required, but an undressed green salad with rocket is good. Serves 6.

Robust Tomato Sauce with Herbs

A simple tomato sauce is the starting point for hundreds of pasta dishes and anyone who loves pasta won’t need a recipe for the basic mix of tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and olive oil. The following recipe, however, takes this mix a step further, with the addition of extra herbs and Italian white beans. Canned tomatoes and dried herbs are often used in these sauces, but fresh ingredients have a very special appeal. I also toss in a few mushrooms because I think they enhance almost everything, and although the result is still a basic tomato sauce, it has a lot more personality and flavour than the simpler version.

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion, garlic and green pepper. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs (except basil), seasoning and wine. Cover and simmer over very low heat for 30–40 minutes. Stir occasionally and mash up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. (The pan should be covered or the sauce will thicken too much, and the beans will thicken it even further.) Mix in the beans, basil, mushrooms, olives and butter and simmer, covered, for a further 15 minutes – you will probably need to add a little water or stock to keep it succulent. It’s the long, gentle simmer that’s important here to mellow the flavours – quick tomato sauces can be very tart. Serve on fettucine and pass the cheese. Serves 4 very generously.

* These are white kidney beans, larger than haricots, smaller than butter beans.

Beef Steaks with Red Wine & Mushroom Sauce

Many people like a little something with their steak, and this sauce is for them. Make it while the cooked steaks are settling, then spoon it over, or alongside; the rich red-brown colour and medley of flavours will enhance any cut, but it’s specially good with rump or fillet.

  1. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan, brush the steaks on both sides with a little soy sauce (this is optional, but it improves the colour and eliminates the need for salt*) and brown on both sides, turning once only and being careful not to pierce them. (Don’t do this over fierce heat or the meat will scorch.) When done to your liking, transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add the leek to the same pan and, when it starts to soften and brown, add the garlic, wine, stock and tomato paste. Allow to bubble over medium heat until slightly reduced and boldly coloured, then add the mushrooms and extra soy sauce. When the mushrooms are softening, stir in the flour-butter paste teaspoon by teaspoon, until the sauce thickens, then add the jelly to gloss it and round out the flavour – if you don’t have redcurrant jelly, you could try apple or quince – just a touch of sweetness finishes it off perfectly. Now stir in any juices that have escaped under the waiting steaks, and serve. Serves 4–6.

* No salt has been added to the ingredients as – unless using low-salt soy sauce – extra salt should not be necessary.

Fillet of Beef with a Creamy Mustard Sauce

This makes a rather special meal for four without breaking the budget because you don’t have to cater for seconds – unlike a roast, seconds just don’t seem polite when it comes to steaks. So: just four tournedos – cut thick, but small – first marinated, then cooked in minutes and finally drizzled with the cream sauce that is much lighter than most, and a snap to prepare.

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a small, shallow glass or non-metallic dish, add the steaks and refrigerate for 4–6 hours, turning a few times. Return the steaks to room temperature before cooking. Take them straight out of the marinade without patting them dry, and use a fairly small frying pan – the steaks should not be crowded, but a large pan will reduce the sauce too much. Heat a little oil and brown the steaks on both sides – turn only once and don’t have the heat too fierce or the vinegar will scorch. When done to your liking, transfer to a serving platter, season lightly and keep warm while you make the sauce. Stir all the sauce ingredients together, pour into the same pan in which you cooked the steaks, and stir over low heat until smooth and slightly thickened. Mix in any juices that have accumulated under the waiting steaks, drizzle the steaks with the sauce, and serve at once. Serves 4.

Casserole of Veal with Brinjals & Olives

Not unlike the well-loved Osso Buco, but with chunky Mediterranean vegetables adding their individual character and flavour.

  1. Nick the edges of the veal slices, roll in seasoned flour, and brown on both sides in a little olive oil in a frying pan – do this in batches – then arrange in a large baking dish in a single layer. Add the remaining ingredients, except the olives and garnish, to the pan, stir to mix, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the veal, pushing the onions in between the slices, then cover securely with a lid or a sheet of grease-proof paper and then one of foil, and bake at 160 °C for 11⁄2 hours, by which time the veal should be butter-soft, the vegetables cooked, and the sauce rich and thick. Stir in the olives and, if necessary, a little extra stock and return to the oven, uncovered, until bubbling. Remove and discard the bay leaves and sprinkle with the tarragon or parsley. Serves 6.

Casserole of Lamb with Mushrooms & Butter Beans

An earthy stew, brimming with tender nuggets of lamb and vegetables in a thick, herby gravy. Preparation is surprisingly quick, the baking very slow, and interference from the cook virtually nil, yet the result is simply delicious.

  1. Roll the knuckles in the seasoned flour or shake up in a bag – the easiest way. Brown in batches on both sides in a little oil, then transfer to a large baking dish – 20 × 30 cm is perfect. Place the remaining ingredients, except the mushrooms, bay leaves and beans, in a processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until the vegetables are finely chopped. Mix with the mushrooms, then spread the mixture over the knuckles. Tuck in the bay leaves and cover securely with a lid, or a sheet of greaseproof paper and then one of foil. Bake at 160 °C for 1 hour, then turn and toss the knuckles – the juices will have drawn, but the meat will not yet be tender, and the flavour of the sauce will not have mellowed. Cover as before, and bake for a further 1 hour, then add the beans and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened sufficiently. Remove and discard the bay leaves and serve piping hot. Serves 6.

* Do not substitute ‘stewing’ lamb as it is much too fatty.

Lamb Buffalo with Peppadews

You may wonder about the word ‘buffalo’ in a recipe without buffalo, but the reason is that the word also features in a chicken dish – also without buffalo, but with a signature tomatoey/mustardy/sweetish sauce. I can’t imagine what a buffalo has to do with such ingredients, but I thought if chicken can respond to it, so can lamb. So here it is: lamb chops slowly simmered until tender in a bright, savoury sauce, spiked with peppadews for oomph. Lovely comfort food, this, for which you will need a really large, heavy, wide-based pan.

  1. Heat the oil and butter, brown both sides of the chops, set aside, and season. Add the onion and the carrots to the pan drippings and, when softening, sprinkle in the flour. When absorbed, add all the remaining ingredients, except the peppadews and parsley, in the order listed, stir to mix, then return the lamb to the pan. Cover and simmer gently over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, turning once, and adding a little extra stock only if necessary. When the chops are very tender and the sauce bright and medium-thick, reach for the jar of peppadews and rinse and chop enough to provide 60–75 ml (4–5 Tbsp). Stir them into the sauce, heat for 10 minutes or so to bring out the flavour, remove the bay leaves, then swirl in the parsley or coriander for colour. Serve on rice or, if your pan is big enough, add a few baby potatoes to cook through just before the chops are tender. Serves 4–6, with a green veg.

Braised Leg of Lamb

A pot-roasted or braised leg can never have quite the presence that surrounds a roast, but it nevertheless has a yeoman personality of its own. It is also unfailingly succulent and tender, simple and trustworthy. I love it, and I don’t mind that it isn’t pink. Also, it’s a cook’s dream – simply left to languish in the oven for hours along with plenty of wine, stock, vegetables and other things, it emerges butter-soft and afloat with flavour. Add some potatoes before the end, and bake some butternut seeing the oven is on. Two imperatives – you’ll need a heavy, lidded roaster that can be used on the stove as well as in the oven – and a good red wine.

  1. Wipe the leg with vinegar, jab little slits here and there, insert the garlic, and rub all over with the seasoned flour. Heat the oil and butter in the roaster (no rack required with this recipe), brown the lamb on both sides, then remove. Add all the vegetables and the oregano to the drippings in the roaster and sweat briefly over low heat. Return the meat to the roaster, add the remaining ingredients, baste the leg once or twice and then place in the oven at 160 °C for 11⁄2 hours. Turn the leg, cover again, and bake for a further 1 hour (remember to slip some potatoes round the meat, if using.) Remove to a warm platter to rest – switch off the oven and leave the lamb there while you see to the gravy, which should be plentiful and richly coloured. Either reduce it on top of the stove, which can be rather dodgy because it concentrates the flavours which may be quite concentrated enough already, or break the rules and use cornflour slaked with a little extra red wine, boil up, and when the consistency is right, remove the bay leaves, pour a little over the waiting lamb, and serve the rest separately. Serves 6.

Simmered, Savoury Lamb Loin Chops

To be honest, what the title should read is Lamb with Red Wine, Rosemary and Mushrooms but I ducked it because that combination is so well-known and predictable that I just called it something else. The trouble is, when I’m faced with a loin chop, curled up into a tiny round parcel (noisettes are no longer a regular cut, I am told), well, when I see this lamb chop I can think of nothing but red wine, rosemary and mushrooms. There has to be a reason – and I think it is this: the marriage is so perfect, the balance of flavours so impeccable, why follow a different route? I know one should grill them occasionally, and serve them pink, but then they have to be watched, and done this way the chops come with a dark, rich gravy, flavoursome and glossy, and they more or less do themselves.

  1. Halve the cloves of garlic and rub well into the chops on both sides. Heat the oil and butter in a very large, deep frying pan and add the chops, tail ends curled round neatly, and brown on both sides. When you get that lovely braai aroma, remove the chops, season lightly and set aside. Soften the leeks in the pan drippings, then add the remaining ingredients up to, and including, the sugar. Bring to simmering point, stirring, then return the lamb to the pan and add the mushrooms and cinnamon. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes, turning once – by this time the chops should be really tender, so remove them to a large serving dish, remove the rosemary and oregano from the sauce and boil rapidly for just a few minutes to reduce. Swirl in the jelly to gloss and after a minute or so pour over the chops and serve. Serves 6.

* I use Marmite rather than a cube – it makes a dark, flavoursome stock.

** The choice is flexible – I use a mix of brown, button and baby button.

Orange Pork Chops

Bathed in a savoury orange sauce and then slow-baked until meltingly tender, this dish is hassle free, has lots of character, and is quite voluptuously satisfying. Simple accompaniments like mash and broccoli team up perfectly with these bright, succulent chops.

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the chops and seal quickly on both sides – do not brown. Transfer to a baking dish to fit fairly closely, and season lightly. Quickly mix the orange juice with the rest of the ingredients, except the flour and the verjuice. Add the flour to the pan drippings and, when absorbed, add the orange juice mixture. Stir while it comes to the boil, then pour over the chops. Cover securely with a sheet of greaseproof paper and then one of foil, and bake at 160 °C for 1 hour. Turn the chops, cover again, and bake for a further 15 minutes, by which time they should be wonderfully tender in a toffee-coloured sauce. Taste and, if too sweet for your liking, add a dash of verjuice. Serves 6.