Charlotte Pike

Charlotte’s Online Cookery Classes

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I’m very pleased to offer three completely new online courses for you this year. I’ve always taught in person before, but it’s been absolutely wonderful to join you virtually in your home, to learn together.

My three new classes are available to buy in My Shop. 

The options are:

Thank you to everyone who has supported my online classes so far, and please do spread the word!

Chorizo, Butterbean and Cabbage Soup

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This wasn’t ever going to be a post here, but last Sunday, I made this soup for a quick lunch on a bitterly cold day, and sent out a Tweet saying how underrated cabbage is. I had bought a lovely local Savoy cabbage for just pence that week. 

Many of you agreed and asked me for this recipe, and so here it is. I often make soups like this for a quick and nourishing lunch in the depths of winter. And when you’re out shopping next and see a lovely fresh cabbage, pick it up and give it a go.

Chorizo, Butterbean and Cabbage Soup

This is a truly delicious winter soup that really is quick and easy to make. It’d be excellent made with bacon, too.

The trick, I think, with the cabbage, is to put it in at the very last minute and stir so it just softens. I wouldn’t put the lid back on once it is in the pan. This means that it will just soften, but retain its bite and colour. 

Serves 4

Ingredients 

1 tbsp good olive oil

2 large brown onions, peeled and chopped

1 hoop of cured chorizo (around 200g), peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

Sea and black pepper, plus a pinch of sugar (optional)

1 x 400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 x 400g tin good chopped tomatoes

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

½ Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced and tough stalks removed

Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve (optional)

Method

Take a large, lidded saucepan, and add the oil and onions. Over a medium heat, gently cook the onions until they soften slightly. This should take 5-10 minutes, at least.

Add the chorizo and season, and continue to fry for another 5-10 minutes, until the fat starts to render from the chorizo.

Next, add the butter beans and tomatoes and stir well, followed by the stock. Simmer for 15 minutes or so, until the flavours have had the chance to come together. Taste and check the tomato tastes sweet and flavourful, and not too acidic and raw. It may need another 10 minutes if so. Now, add the sliced cabbage. Stir well and gently simmer for another three minutes or so, until it has just softened. Taste, check the cabbage is cooked to your liking and the soup is adequately seasoned. Serve immediately.

Beef and Red Wine Pie

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I made this delicious pie some time ago and promised you the recipe, and here it is. It works really nicely with venison, too. Some of you have been asking for a beef pie recipe for a while, and I think I’ve really cracked it with this one. You can use most cuts of beef if you don’t have chuck steak. Just make sure it’s nicely trimmed. I’ve also included enough pastry to make a bottom and a top. I know this is controversial, but I usually just add a top to my pies (I know, that means it’s technically a casserole with a pastry, not a pie), but that’s how I like it. So you can halve the quantity of the pastry recipe if you like. Any excess will freeze well though. I like to roll it and then freeze it in a sheet.

Beef and Red Wine Pie

Charlotte Pike

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, for frying

700g diced chuck steak

20g plain flour, seasoned

200g smoked bacon, sliced thinly

25g butter

2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced

3 small carrots, peeled and finely diced

250ml red wine

400ml beef stock

4 sprigs of thyme, leaves roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp muscovado sugar

1-2 tsp Aspall Red Wine Vinegar

 

For the pastry

500g plain flour

125g butter

125g lard

Pinch salt

Cold water

One large egg, beaten

 

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 150C/Gas Mark 3.  Place the beef in a bowl, add the flour and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or casserole dish and add the beef to the pan. Fry over a high heat until brown. Add the bacon and continue to cook.

Turn down the heat and add the butter, onions and carrots and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the wine, stock, thyme, bay, sugar and vinegar. Stir well, bring to the boil.

Tranfer the filling to an ovenproof casserole dish.  Cover and place in the oven for 1.5 to 2 hours. Remove and allow to cool.

Now, make the pastry. Rub the fats into the flour in a large bowl to make breadcrumbs. This can be done very quickly in a food processor. Blend with enough cold water (around 4-6 tablespoons) to make a firm dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C. On a floured surface roll out half the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Spoon in the cold pie filling into a pie dish and cover with pastry. Trim the edges and decorate if you wish. Cut a hole in the centre, brush with beaten egg and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is a rich, golden brown.

Serve with wilted greens, and potatoes, if you like.