Sophie Conran - Sophie Conran’s Soups and Stews

For Elkin , for making the sun shine every day

Of course this book was not written by me alone and in fact the bulk of the work was done by an incredible army of angels. I would like to thank them all for being so incredibly fantastic and making the writing and production of the book such a joy.

Harriet Arbuthnot for being my bright and brilliant right hand.

Helena for being wonderful and keeping my world in order.

Felix and Coco my inspiration and for all the giggling.

Lizzy Gray for all-round fabulousness, patience and thoughtfulness.

David Loftus for the stunning pictures, a joyous shoot and friendship.

Jenny Heller for believing in me, your courage and vision.

Cheryl for all your generosity and guidance.

Charlotte and Jenny for making me look so fabulous.

Grechen, Vivian and Euan at the Laquer Chest for the gorgeous props and most welcome cup of tea in town.

Julian, Jodie and Carol at Portmeirion for being wonderful and magnificent to work with.

Rosie and Fania for giving your best.

Susanna Cook for a beautiful book.

Sarah Canet for your constant brilliance.

All my magnificent family and friends for your love.

Humungous thanks to everyone for the sensational guest recipes that have been contributed.

Cover Page

Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Beef

Beef And Barley Soup

Hearty Beef Soup

Oxtail Soup

Brown Windsor Soup

Burgundy Beef With Wild Mushrooms

Jerusalem Artichoke And Lemon Soup

Shabu-Shabu

Pasta In Brodo

Mr Pianim’s Beef Curry

Beef, Beer And Mushroom Stew With Cheesy Dumplings

Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf En Daube

Featherblade

Bollito Misto

Crazy Homies Exterminator Chilli

Carbonnade À La Flamande

Osso Bucco And Risotto Milanese

Lamb

Welsh Cawl

Scotch Broth

Lamb And Noodles With Seven Precious Ingredients

Aubergine, Lamb And Chickpea Soup

Lancashire Hotpot

Spiced Lamb With Beans

Lamb Shanks With Caramelised Onion

Mexican Lamb

Spanish Lamb Shoulder With Tomatoes And Olives

Irish Stew

Lamb With Preserved Lemon

Pork

Pancetta And White Bean Soup

Black Bean And Pork Belly Soup

Butternut Squash And Sausage Soup

Green Pea, Foie Gras And Pancetta Cappuccino

Cabbage And Pork Pot

Pork With Asian Spices

Lentils With Italian Sausage

Boston Baked Beans With Pork Belly

Hunter’s Stew

Cassoulet

Pork And Prune Stew

Game

Pheasant Consommé With Baby Vegetables

Split Lentil Soup With Braised Hare

Highland Games

Ribollita

Venison And Root Vegetables

Venison With Port And Plums

Irish Rabbit Stew

Daube Of Venison With Quince And Chestnuts

Pheasant With Red Cabbage

Red Duck Curry

Pheasant And Sausage Stew

Chicken

My Soothing Chicken And Noodle Soup

Cream Of Chicken Soup With Tarragon

Mexican Chicken Soup Caldo De Pollo

Mum’s Chicken Soup

(Jewish Penicillin) Soothing Matzo Ball Soup

Hot And Sour Chicken And Exotic Mushroom Soup

Coq Au Vin

Chicken And Mushroom Stew

Fragrant Chicken Stew

Chicken, Chorizo And Butterbean Stew

Caribbean Coconut Curry

Lemon Chicken With Spinach

Chicken Curry For Little Chickens

Sloppy, Spicy, Red Chicken Stew

Fish

Lobster Bonne Femme

Oyster And Watercress Soup

Langoustine And Clam Burrida

Bisque

Spicy Thai Broth With Prawns And Langoustine

Vichyssoise With Oysters

Corn Chowder

Bouillabaisse With Rouille And Croutons

Goan Prawn Curry

Gambas Pil-Pil

Jambalaya

Inky Squid Stew

Creole Prawn And Chicken Gumbo

Moules Marinières

Vegetables

Leek And Potato Soup

White Bean And Butternut Squash Soup

Watercress Soup

Soupe Au Pistou

Root Soup

Borscht

Onion Soup

Cream Of Tomato Soup

Gazpacho

Nettle Soup

Aubergine Stew With Fried Halloumi And Walnuts

Butternut Squash And Goat’s Cheese Stew

Black Bean And Red Pepper Stew

Chorizo And Butter Bean Stew

Caponata

Melanzane Alla Parmigiana

Ratatouille

Imam Bayaldi With Dill Rice

Useful Extras

Making Stock

Cooking Beans And Pulses

Many Ways With Potatoes

Index

Copyright

About the Publisher

Beautiful Soup, so rich and green

Waiting in a hot tureen!

Who for such dainties would not stoop?

Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!

Beautiful Soup!

Who cares for fish

Game, or any other dish?

Who would not give all else for two

Pennyworth only of beautiful soup

Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland

Soups and stews are nourishing, nurturing, satisfying and comforting. From light and delicate to filling and warming, there’s a soup or stew for every mood and occasion. A steaming pot is a delight to behold and once placed in front of you, can dissolve all the worries of the world.

The story of soups and stews is as ancient as that of cooking itself and goes back to the dawn of culinary time. Throughout the centuries, and across many cultures, soups and stews have played an important part in the world’s culinary history. Over 8,000 years ago, the first primitive tribes would boil foods together to make a sort of stew, and tribes in the Amazonian jungles used turtle shells in which to cook their meat. As for written records, some of the oldest cookbooks dating back to Roman times, contain recipes for lamb and fish stews. There is even a mention of stews in the world’s most popular book of all time, the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, Esau offers a meal of lentil stew to his brother Jakob in return for his inheritance. He must have been very hungry!

There is a fine line distinguishing stew from soup. The ingredients of a stew may be chunkier than those of a soup and retain more of their individual flavours; a stew may have thicker liquid and is more likely to be eaten as a main course. While a stew can be cooked on either the hob or in the oven, soups are almost always cooked on the hob. The choice of name is largely a matter of custom; it is often possible for the same dish to be described as soup or stew—in fact the only thing a soup can be, that a stew is definitely not, is smooth. Soups and stews take a while to cook and are best simmered very slowly, so be patient. They are wonderfully humble and inexpensive to make, mostly using the cheaper cuts of meat.

These cuts are best enjoyed once they have been cooked for hours; cook them too fast and all the flavours escape, leaving the meat dry and tasteless. You must make sure the pot never boils, but ever so slightly quivers with the occasional ‘plop plop’ of rising bubbles. I like to use organic meat, and since these dishes often require the less expensive cuts, they are within the reach of the average household budget. The beautiful thing about soups and stews is that they can nearly always be stretched a little bit further, so are accommodating if an extra guest turns up out of the blue. Plus they improve with age, as the flavours mature and become more fabulous. A three-day-old stew is a rare thing (having usually been gobbled up in minutes), but a truly delicious one.