The cuisines of Italy, France, China, India and Mexico have managed to earn worldwide fame, thanks to their distinctive flavours. The English kitchen has never managed to establish a fame or even a good reputation for itself, which is a bit of a shame. The world outside the United Kingdom – in my view – is losing quite a bit by simply throughout not knowing about English dishes, beyond fish & chips.
The English kitchen is traditionally simple in terms of cooking methods. Also, the dishes of England tend to use high-quality local and natural ingredients. Stews and broths are very popular and very delicious, so are the desserts.
UKTV’s Good Food Channel describes the cuisine as “unfussy dishes made with quality local ingredients, matched with simple sauces to accentuate flavour, rather than disguise it”. This describes well the essence of traditional English cuisine.
Today I’m bringing a very easy to make vegetarian casserole from Nigel Slater, to you. He is one of the most established food writers in the United Kingdom, who tends to create traditional, simple, honest but very flavourful recipes. The Herby Artichoke Casserole is a perfect dish. It is very simple to prepare but its various ingredients and herbs merge together into a stunning combination of flavours.
I love to make it any time, but perhaps autumn and winter suits this dish best. The colours and flavours of this healthy and hearty meal evoke such times in my view.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 parsnip, chopped
- 1 turnip, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tsp lemon thyme leaves
- 500ml/18fl oz vegetable stock
- 400g/14oz canned flageolet beans
- 200g/7oz jar artichoke hearts, drained
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Preparation method:
- Add the oil, celery, onion, carrots, parsnip and turnip to a large pan.
- Put the herbs into the pan and fry until soft and browning slightly. Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the beans and artichokes and simmer for another five minutes. Add the chopped parsley at the end and serve.
Bon Apetit!
If you try this dish, let me know your opinion. Also, if you have similar recipes, I would love to try them, so don’t hesitate to send them to me.