Kitchen Companion recipes

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well,

if one has not dined well.” Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

Netherton Foundry Kitchen Companion

Highly versatile, this will do virtually everything you need in the kitchen from boiling to braising, poaching to pancakes, searing to simmering.

Soups, stews and sauces, puddings and pot roasts, casseroles and crepes, fried eggs and fried rice, risotto and rissoles, a cup of tea or a pot of mulled wine.

Not just in the kitchen, this is ideal for entertaining, take it to the table for cooking and serving.

Use for accompaniments for the barbecue, party buffets and a whole host of other occasions

And what about those big occasions when your cooker just isn't big enough, Christmas dinner for example?

Another cooking ring will always come in handy - warm the gravy, cook the sprouts, steam the pudding, flame the brandy.

Supplied with our iconic cast iron casserole, the Kitchen Companion is multi purpose ,

so you can also use it with frying pans, saucepans, a wok or for boiling the kettle.

Powerful 1500W hot plate with British made Cast Iron Slow Cooker bowl and lid.

Electric heater base with variable thermostatic control. Cast iron heat diffuser ring. 1 metre power cord.

Cast iron 4 ltr bowl with easy clean flax oil coating. Hand crafted English oak hardwood knobs and legs.

Nettle and spinach soup

1 oz butter
1 tblsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
Large bunch of nettles*
Large bunch of spinach
500ml chicken stock
50 ml double cream, optional
*Pick these carefully, wearing gloves and wash thoroughly before use.

Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.
Add the butter and oil to the bowl and heat over a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and fry gently until soft and translucent.
Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cream, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for approx 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.
Remove from the heat and liquidise until smooth. Add the cream if desired.

Wild garlic soup

This is a very special and seasonal recipe. It is a family recipe belonging to my friend Sophie,
who has had it handed down to her by her paternal grandmother from the town of Liaoyang in

Liaoning province in China

600ml chicken or vegetable stock
200~250g wild garlic, chopped
1 egg, beaten
80g plain flour, mixed with 200ml water
1 spring onion
2 tblsp vegetable oil
Salt and black pepper

Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.

Add the oil and heat over a medium heat
Put in the ground black pepper and spring onion and fry until the aroma of the onion is released
Pour in the stock and add the salt. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to the boil.
Stir in the flour and water paste and boil for a minute, stirring continuously.

Throw in the wild garlic and stir to mix.

As soon as the garlic is mixed in add the beaten egg and cook for a few seconds.
Granny’s tip: Never cook wild garlic for more than 30 seconds or the flavour will fly away.

Ratatouille

1 onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes
3 courgettes, sliced
2 red and 2 green peppers, sliced
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
125 ml water
Bunch of fresh basil, chopped

Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.
Put the oil in the bowl and warm over a medium heat. Lightly fry the onion and garlic until soft.

Add the aubergine and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
Add all other ingredients, except the basil. Cover with the cast iron lid.
Simmer for approx 45 minutes until all the vegetables are soft and infused with tomato sauce.

Tear ¾ of the basil and stir into the sauce.
Use the rest of the basil to garnish.

Delicious with pasta, French bread or as an accompaniment to roast chicken
Can also be served cold as an addition to the salad table.

White beans with wild garlic/spinach

400g cooked white beans (such as cannellini, haricot, butter beans)
200ml white wine
200ml chicken or vegetable stock
2 tblsp rapeseed oil
Knob of butter
1 onion, sliced
1 dstsp grain mustard
100ml single cream
1 large handful wild garlic, washed and chopped finely
Salt and pepper

Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.
Put the wine and stock in the bowl and bring to the boil. Simmer until reduced by half.

Remove from the heat.
Reduce the heat to medium and using a separate pan (our preseasoned frying pans are ideal),

gently fry the onion in rapeseed oil and butter,
until translucent and soft.

Return the cast iron bowl to the Kitchen Companion base and add the onions to the reduced stock mixture

and stir well.
Add the beans and heat through
Add the cream and warm gently Toss in the wild garlic, season with salt and pepper.
Serve - with crusty bread, sausages, lamb chops or a nice piece of cod

........... or any other combination that takes your fancy!

Deluxe Fish finger sandwich

Salmon fillet, cut into “fingers”
Fresh white breadcrumbs
Grated lemon rind
Fennel seed, crushed
Flour
Egg
Lettuce
Mayonnaise
Baguette
Oil for frying

Vary all the quantities, depending on how many you are making,

but as a rule of thumb use the rind of 1 lemon and 2 tsp fennel seeds per 100g of breadcrumbs.

Mix the breadcrumbs, lemon rind, and fennel seed, with a pinch of freshly ground white pepper.
Set out 4 plates; place the flour on the first one, beaten egg on the second and breadcrumb mix on the third.
Roll the salmon fingers in flour, then beaten egg and finally in breadcrumbs. Transfer to the fourth plate.
Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.
Heat ¼” oil – I prefer rapeseed - on MAX, and fry the fish fingers on each side until golden and crispy.
Spread the split baguette with mayonnaise, top with shredded lettuce and then place the fish finger on top.
Serve immediately.

Wild garlic risotto

1½ litres stock - vegetable or chicken
50ml white wine
2 large leeks, thinly sliced
12 sun-dried tomatoes chopped and added to the stock
100g butter
Handful wild garlic
50ml boiling water
1½ mugs Arborio rice
50g grated Parmesan
6 stems purple sprouting broccoli
Put the garlic leaves and boiling water in to a jug and blitz with a stick mixer. Set aside
Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.
Add the stock and tomatoes to the bowl and bring to the boil.

Pour the stock into a jug and replace the bowl on the heat.
Melt the butter in the bowl over a medium heat. Do not let it brown.
Add the sliced leeks and fry until soft. Do not let them colour.
Tip in the rice and cook until opaque, stirring regularly.
When all the rice has turned opaque and white, pour in the wine.

Cook for about 3 - 5 minutes. Turn up the heat.
Add the stock and tomatoes a little at a time, stirring constantly.

Wait until each addition has been absorbed by the rice, before adding the next.
When around half of the stock has been added, stir in the Parmesan.
When all but 2 ladlefuls of stock remain, add the pureed garlic mix and the broccoli.
Add the last of stock and continue to stir until it has been absorbed.

Serve, garnished with extra wild garlic leaves.
This is a great vegetable risotto, even when the wild garlic is not in season.

Pea Sauce for pasta

400g fresh or frozen peas

250 ml vegetable or chicken stock

Handful of chopped mint or a bunch of chopped basil*
150ml double cream

Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.
Turn the heat to MAX and add the stock to the bowl.

As soon as it boils, throw in ¾ of the peas and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the herbs and remove from the heat. Puree the peas and herbs, with the residual stock.
Return the bowl to the hotplate and add 400g pasta, cover with boiling water and simmer until cooked

– this will vary according to the type of pasta you use. Refer to the cooking instructions on the packet.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pan. Stir in the pea puree, and add the cream, the rest of the peas and a good grinding of white pepper.

Stir well to coat the pasta and as soon as the sauce is warmed through, remove from the heat and serve.
* Try other summer herbs such as chervil or summer savory for a change
You can top this with grated Parmesan, crispy bacon, prawns or even a few flakes of smoked salmon.

Coconut bean stew

1 tblsp rapeseed oil
2 onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 dstsp cumin seeds
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tin kidney beans
1 tin chopped tomatoes
200 ml water
1½" creamed coconut
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
Salt and pepper

Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.

Add the oil to the bowl and gently fry the onions over a medium heat.

Add the garlic and cook until the aroma is released, but do not let it colour

– this can make the garlic bitter and spoil the dish.

Add all the other ingredients. Simmer for 2 hours.
Serve with rice and green vegetables.

Duck Vindaludlow

Our homage to the classic Goan vindaloo dish, which is made with lots of garlic and the addition of Vinegar, for a touch of astringency. This is not what you might perceive a vindaloo to be; this has warmth and subtlety, not tongue-curling heat!

2 tblsp oil and 1oz butter
2 onions, sliced
6 cloves garlic
3 dstsp curry powder *
3 dstsp vinegar
4 duck legs
1 tin tomatoes
400 ml water
½" creamed coconut
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Mix the curry powder and vinegar to a paste and set aside.
Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.

Heat the oil and butter over a medium heat, until the butter starts to foam
Add sliced onions and fry until soft
Add garlic, cook for 2 minutes
Stir in spice mix and cook for 2 minutes. Turn up the heat to MAX
Add duck legs and cook for 5 minutes, stirring well to coat with spice mix
Add rest of the ingredients, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 1½ hour.
Check that the legs are cooked through and serve with rice, raita and chutney
*Curry powder
This is my own spice mix:
Gently toast 2 tblsp of each of the following spices in a dry frying pan:
Coriander seed, cumin seed, caraway seed, cardamom seed, black onion seed (Nigella),

fenugreek, cloves and fennel seed
Cool and grind.
Add 1 tblsp each of turmeric, paprika, mustard seed, ground cinnamon and mango powder (amchoor)
Add crushed chilli to taste.
This will make more than you need for this dish, but will keep in an airtight container, stored in a cool dark place. Keep some in the cupboard for adding a bit of spice to parsnip soup, baked beans, scrambled egg…..

Chicken Esia

1 free range chicken

1 tin chopped tomatoes
200ml water
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tsp oregano
Splash of dry sherry
Salt and black pepper

Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.

Place the onions in the bottom of the cast iron bowl.

Sit the chicken on top and then add all the other ingredients.
Cover with the lid and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 1½ hours.

Check that the chicken is cooked through and serve with rice, pasta or potatoes.

Highley hoggies

Little parcels of pigginess in delicious gravy
1 tblsp oil
250g minced pork
250g finely chopped pig’s liver
1 chopped apple
1 tsp chopped sage
Black pepper
8 rashers streaky bacon
1 large onion, sliced
300ml stock

Mix the pork, liver chopped apple, sage and black pepper together – this is best done by hand.
Place the bacon rashers between clingfilm and beat out thinly.
Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.
Add the oil to the boil on heat on Max and then add the sliced onion. Cook until translucent.
While the onion is cooking,

divide the pork mixture into eight equal amounts and shape each quantity into a ball.

Place a ball of mixture on to each bacon rasher and roll up into parcels.
Place the parcels on top pf the onions and ad the stock.
Cover with the lid and bring to the boil.
Turn down the heat and simmer for approx 40 minutes.
Season with salt to taste, but remember that the bacon may be salty, so taste first!
Serve with mashed potato and peas.

Slow braised tofu with aubergine

250ml stock, beef or vegetable
2 tblsp soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
3 star anise
1 aubergine, cut into cubes
400g tofu, cubed

Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.

Place all the ingredients in the bowl and cover with the lid.
Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 2 hours.
Serve with noodles and beansprouts or boiled rice.