SLOW COOK SUPPERS

CHINESE BARBECUE PORK INGREDIENTS

1.8kg pork shoulder
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
6 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp mirin or white wine
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 star anise
2 tsp Chinese five spice

METHOD

1 Remove the skin from the pork, trim off any visible fat, re-roll and set to one side. Place the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker pot and combine well. Add the pork and turn until completely coated in the marinade. Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight if you can.

2 Allow the pork to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add 100ml water to the pot along with the pork and cook for 5 hours on low, turning occasionally. Remove the pork from the pot, skim off any fat from the marinade in the pot. Pour into a pan and reduce the marinade until slightly syrupy. Pull the pork apart and serve with rice, steamed greens and some of the marinade

WINTER VEG & BEAN STEW INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp rapeseed oil
400g shallots, halved if large
6 carrots, thickly sliced
2 leeks, thickly sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
40g plain flour
600ml vegetable stock
2 x 400g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or good pinch of dried
4 tbsp double cream or crème fraîche
2 tsp Dijon mustard
150g chopped kale

For the dumplings:

100g self-raising flour
50g chilled butter, chopped
100g Cheddar, grated

METHOD

1 Heat half the oil in a large frying pan, add the shallots and carrots. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and drop into the slow cooker. Add the remaining oil and cook the leek and garlic for 2 minutes. Scatter over the flour, stir and cook for 2 minutes.

2 Add the stock, bring to the boil while stirring all the time and simmer for a couple of minutes until smooth. Pour into the slow cooker along with the beans and thyme. Cover and cook on high for 11⁄2 hours.

3 To make the dumplings, place the flour in a bowl, add the butter and rub together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheese and add 4-5 tbsp cold water to make a soft, sticky dough.

4 Stir the cream and mustard into the stew and then stir in the kale. Top with spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture, cover and cook for 1 to 11⁄2 hours until the dumplings have risen and are firm. Serve straight away.

GREEK LAMB KLEFTIKO INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil
1.3kg stewing lamb, cut into large cubes
2 onions, sliced
12 garlic cloves, chopped
juice 2 lemons
6 bay leaves
6 tbsp roughly chopped oregano or 2 tsp dried
1kg waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
400g can chopped tomatoes
200g feta, crumbled

METHOD

1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the lamb and brown over a high heat until nicely browned. You’ll need to do this in batches – pop into the slow cooker as you go. Reduce the heat and cook the onions and garlic in the same pan for 5 minutes, adding more oil if needed. Add to the pot.

2 Add the remaining ingredients, setting half the feta to one side. Add 200ml boiling water, cover and cook on high for 3 hours, stirring just once or twice. Scatter with the remaining feta just before serving.