Somerset Cider Stew Recipes

SOMERSET STEW WITH CHEDDAR & PARSLEY MASH

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pan and fry the onion, garlic, carrot and leek until soft but not coloured. Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, butter beans, flageolet beans, cider, stock and thyme and simmer for 15-20 mins until the stew has thickened and the veg are tender.
• Meanwhile, if you're adding sausages to any portion, snip each sausage into 3-4 chunks. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the chunks for 5 mins, then stir in appropriate portions of the stew and gently simmer for the remaining cooking time. Serve with the mash.

HOMEMADE APPLE CIDER BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, brown beef on all sides in oil over medium-high heat; drain. Add the cider, broth, vinegar, salt, thyme and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours. , Add the potatoes, carrots, celery and onions; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender. , Combine flour and water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. If desired, serve with fresh thyme.

CIDER BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt and pepper. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a large saucepan, brown beef in oil; drain. Stir in the cider, water, vinegar and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until the meat is tender. , Add the carrots, celery, potato and onion; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

SOMERSET PORK WITH CREAM AND APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a large heavy skillet, over medium-high heat, melt half of the butter. Fry the pork chops on both sides until a nice golden color. Transfer the chops to a 2 quart casserole dish with a lid, and sprinkle with thyme.
• Melt the remaining butter in the pan, and fry the onion and garlic until tender. Transfer them to the casserole dish. Fry the apple rings in the pan for a few seconds on each side to give them color, then remove to the casserole dish. Sprinkle with sugar.
• Spoon any excess fat from the frying pan and pour in the apple cider. Stir to remove any flavorful bits from the bottom. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then pour over the pork chops and apples in the dish. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake the casserole, covered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the pork chops are cooked through. Remove the pork chops and apples to a serving platter and stir the cream into the juices. Serve sauce over pork chops.

CIDER STEW

Steps:

• On a medium to medium-high heat, in a large skillet or dutch oven with a cover, heat the fat and cook the onions until browned.
• While the onions are browning, mix the flour with the salt, pepper and thyme.
• When onions are browned, remove them from the pan, set aside, and add the beef.
• When the beef browns, replace the onions and add the flour mixture.
• Stir to coat all.
• Add the cider and ketchup, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Then lower the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours more, stirring occasionally and skimming the top of the stew if necessary.
• Add the potatoes and carrots and simmer another 30 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
• NOTE: The original recipe called for 3 tbs. bacon grease, but I prefer not using that. The butter and olive oil mixture gives excellent results.
• Also, I always double the sauce& seasoning ingredients. If you decide to also, don't forget to double the onions, oil, butter and flour also.

18TH CENTURY DRUNKEN ENGLISH SOMERSET CIDER CHICKEN WITH HONEY

Steps:

• Put your chicken pieces in a dish (in a single layer).
• Combine the remaining ingredients, pour over the chicken and allow to stand for a minimum of 1 hour.
• Oven bake the chicken slowly in a large oven proof dish/pan for approximately 1 hour, basting the joints periodically as they cook.
• Serve hot with steamed greens and mashed or baked potatoes.

NORMANDY PORK WITH APPLES & CIDER

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a large pan and brown the meat in batches. Don't overcrowd the pan, and only turn the meat when it has a deep brown crust on the underside, as this will add lots of flavour to the stew. When one batch is cooked, tip it into the slow cooker and continue with the next batch, adding more oil as you need it.
• When all the meat has been transferred to the slow cooker, add the onion, carrots and celery to the pan and cook for 5-10 mins to just soften, scraping any meaty bits up from the bottom of the pan. Tip the veg into the slow cooker. Add the lardons to the pan and fry until crispy. Pour in the cider, bubble for 1 min, again scraping the bottom of the pan, then tip the cider and lardons into the slow cooker too. Add the apples, stock cube and herbs to the slow cooker, pour in 400ml water, season well and turn the heat to Low. Cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 hrs until the meat is very tender. (If you don't have a slow cooker, tip all the ingredients back into the pan, cover with a lid and cook for 3 hrs over a low heat, stirring every now and then to prevent it from catching on the bottom. You may have to add a splash of water during cooking if the sauce looks dry.)
• Turn your slow cooker up to High. Add the crème fraîche and mustard to the stew and check the seasoning. If the sauce is thin, you can thicken it with the cornflour - ladle 2 spoonfuls of the sauce into a pan and bring to a simmer, mix the cornflour with 1-2 tsp cold water to make a paste, then stir it into the sauce. Once thickened, return the sauce to the slow cooker and cook for 10 mins more on High, stirring occasionally (or for 5 mins on the hob). Serve with mashed potato, greens and extra mustard and thyme, if you like.