Black pepper beef stir fry with egg fried rice

Recipe by James Martin


Ingredients

For the black pepper beef
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dry sherry
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp cornflour
500g/1lb 2oz beef fillet, finely sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 red peppers, seeds removed, finely sliced 2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
50-75ml/2-3fl oz water

For the egg fried rice

2 tbsp groundnut oil
200g/7oz basmati rice, cooked according to packet instructions, drained and cooled completely
2 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp sesame oil
4 spring onions, finely sliced
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

Serves 4

Method

1. For the black pepper beef, whisk together the light soy sauce, dry sherry, garlic, cracked black pepper and cornflour in a bowl. Add the beef slices and stir well to coat the beef in the marinade. Cover and set aside in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. At the end of the marinating time, remove the beef from the marinade (discard the marinade). Heat a wok until nearly smoking, then add the vegetable oil and beef. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, or until just browned all over. Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.
3. Add the peppers to the wok and stir fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil and water. Cook for one minute, then return the beef to the wok and stir fry for a further minute. Keep warm.
4. For the egg fried rice, heat a clean wok until hot and add the oil. Add the cooked, cooled rice and stir fry for 2-3 minutes to heat through.
5. Lightly mix the beaten eggs and sesame oil together, then pour over the rice. Continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes, breaking up any large lumps of egg and rice with a wooden spoon, until the egg is set. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir in the spring onions and coriander.
6. To serve, spoon the black pepper beef onto serving plates and pile the egg fried rice alongside. 

Easy Chicken

Ingredients

1 whole free-range or corn fed chicken, broken down into 8 pieces

(or 8 of your favorite chicken pieces, skin on and bone- in preferable)

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp light brown sugar

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

4 shallots, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Handful of fresh parsley

Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 (220)

2. In a large baking dish, combine marinade and toss with chicken. Season well.

3. Place chicken pieces skin side up and roast for 30 minutes until it begins to brown. Remove and baste with marinade. Flip pieces and bake a remaining 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

4. Garnish with lots of fresh parsley

Read more at http://myfridgefood.com/ViewRecipe.aspx?recipe=21222#F3jHyF8jcmBmhoGB.99

Chicken Saute with Tomato (Domatesli Tavuk Sote)

1 chicken breast, cut in cubes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in small pieces
2 green onions, chopped
2 tomato, cut in cubes
2 tbsp crushed tomato, in can
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp oregano
Salt
Pepper

In a medium sized pan, saute the chicken and garlic with olive oil until the garlic cloves lose their smell. Add all the remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes with the lid covered. If necessary, add a little bit hot water.

Ragù alla Napoletana

Ragù is the traditional Sunday lunch for most southern Italian families: the tomato sauce dresses the pasta and the meat is served as a main course.

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 500g/1lb 2oz topside of beef, chopped into medium-sized pieces
• 500g/1lb 2oz pork ribs
• 200g/7oz Italian pork sausages
• 2 tbsp tomato purée, diluted in 100ml/3½fl oz red wine
• 3 x 400g/14oz tins chopped tomatoes
• handful fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• pasta or bread, to serve

Preparation method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened.
2. Add the beef, ribs and sausages to the pan and continue to fry until the meat is browned all over (you may need to do this in batches).
3. Increase the heat, stir in the diluted tomato concentrate and continue to cook until the volume of the liquid is reduced by one-third.
4. Add the tomatoes and basil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir well.
5. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook very gently for about two hours, or until the sauce is thick and silky. Stir from time to time, checking that there is enough moisture; if necessary add a little more wine or water.
6. Remove from the heat and serve with pasta as suggested above, or on its own with lots of good bread to mop up the rich tomato sauce.

Curry with Left-over Lamb

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. oil

2 red onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 1/2 tsp. Turmeric 

1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

2 tbsp. medium curry powder

1 tbsp. ground coriander

1 tbsp. tomato purée

200g+  lamb shoulder, diced

1 courgette sliced

200ml (7oz) water

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp. Schwartz Coriander Leaf 

1 tin/box 400 ml tomatoes

Sea Salt to season

Rice to serve

METHOD:

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, add the onions and Garlic and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Add the Turmeric, cayenne pepper, Medium Curry Powder, Ground Coriander and the tomato purée and cook for a further minute.

3. Add the diced lamb, sliced courgette,water, tomatoes, lemon juice and Coriander.

4. Simmer for 15 minutes, then season to taste and serve with Pilau rice.

Chilli Meatballs

From Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals

Ingredients:

Bulgur wheat:

• 300g bulgur wheat
• 1 preserved lemon
• 1 cinnamon stick

Meatballs:

• 400g lean beef mince
• 1 heaped tsp garam masala
• olive oil 
• 3 jarred red peppers
• 4 spring onions
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 700g passata
• bunch of fresh coriander
• 1 x 400g tin of red kidney beans
• pinch of cumin seeds
• 4 tsp fat free natural yoghurt
• 1 lime

Grilled chillies

• 4 fresh chillies

Method

1. Put 1 cup of bulgur wheat, 2 cups of boiling water, preserved lemon and the cinnamon stick into the medium pan and cover, stirring occasionally;
2. Next scrunch the mince with salt, pepper and garam masala;
3. Shape the balls and place balls into a frying pan with oil. Toss regularly;
4. If you don't have a food processor, just finely slice the spring onions. 
5. Get another frying pan and mix together the passata, paprika powder, spring onions and half of the coriander. Add some more pepper and salt for the taste of the sauce 
6. Next grill the fresh chillies. When it has those stripes, you can remove chillies from grill. 
7. Rinse and dry the kidney beans. Add the beans to your meatballs. Next add the cumin seeds to the meat balls. 
8. Slowly add the meatballs with the beans to your  pan with sauce (Jamie advices to transfer the balls to the sauce with tongs, so you can add the beans later) 
9. Remove the cinnamon stick from your 'bulgur' pan. Mash the lemon into the bulgur wheat and serve with the meatball sauce, dollops of yoghurt, charred chilies and wedges of lime, scattered with the remaining spring onions and coriander leaves. 

Ragù alla Napoletana

Ingredients

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
500g/1lb 2oz topside of beef, chopped into medium-sized pieces
500g/1lb 2oz pork ribs
200g/7oz Italian pork sausages
2 tbsp tomato purée, diluted in 100ml/3½fl oz red wine
3 x 400g/14oz tins chopped tomatoes
handful fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
parmesan
pasta or bread, to serve

Preparation method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened.

2. Add the beef, ribs and sausages to the pan and continue to fry until the meat is browned all over (you may need to do this in batches).

3. Increase the heat, stir in the diluted tomato concentrate and continue to cook until the volume of the liquid is reduced by one-third.

4. Add the tomatoes, basil, and parmesan, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir well.  

5. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook very gently for about two hours, or until the sauce is thick and silky. Stir from time to time, checking that there is enough moisture; if necessary add a little more wine or water.

6. Remove from the heat and serve with pasta as suggested above, or on its own with lots of good bread to mop up the rich tomato sauce.  Finish cooking the pasta in 3 or 4 large spoonfuls of the sauce.

Turkish Chicken Pilau

Serves 4 Cook 30 mins


Ingredients
small handful pine nuts or flaked almonds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
500g chicken breast, cubed
250g basmati rice
1 chichen or vegetable stock cube
12 ready­to­eat dried apricots, or currents/raisins
handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
500 ml boiling water

1. Dry­ fry the pine nuts or almonds in a large pan until lightly toasted, then tip onto a plate. Add the oil to the pan, then fry the onion and cinnamon together until starting to turn golden. Turn up the heat, stir in the chicken, fry until the meat changes colour, then tip in the rice and cook for 1 min, stirring all the time.
2. Pour in 500ml boiling water, crumble in the stock cube, add the apricots, then season to taste. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 12 mins until the rice is tender and the stock has been absorbed. Toss in the pine nuts and mint and serve.

Ginger Fishcakes

Ingredients

4 fillets of firm white fish, skinless and boneless (720g)

• 30g dill, chopped
• 20g mint leaves, chopped
• 10g tarragon, chopped
• 15g ginger, peeled and finely grated
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 small garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 eggs
• 30g breadcrumbs
• 8 mild, long green peppers (280g net)
• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 200C

Cut the fish into tiny dice – 1-2mm. Place in a bowl and add the fresh herbs, ginger, lemon zest, garlic, ground spices, eggs, breadcrumbs, 1½ teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Mix well and then form into round patties weighing about 55 grams each.
Place a heavy ovenproof iron or chargrill pan on a high heat. When red hot, put the peppers inside and grill for 15 minutes, turning once, until the skin is nicely charred and blistered. Remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe the pan clean and add the 2 teaspoons of oil. Sear the fish cakes for 4 minutes, turning once, then transfer the pan to the oven for 8 minutes, until the fish cakes are cooked through.

Cottage Pie / Shepherd's Pie

Cottage Pie / Shepherd's Pie


• 1kg lamb mince / mixture of beef and pork mince

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

• 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped

• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

• 50g pancetta, roughly chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• a small bunch of fresh rosemary, leaves picked

• 1 x 400g can of plum tomatoes, chopped

• 250ml lamb or vegetable stock

• 1kg potatoes

• 200ml milk

• 2 knobs of butter


Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.


1. Heat a large pan and, when it’s nice and hot, add the olive oil and mince and fry until browned all over. Add the onion, celery, carrot, pancetta and garlic to the pan, and throw in a large pinch of rosemary leaves and the tomatoes. Pour in the stock and stir well so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Leave in the same pan or transfer to an ovenproof dish, cover and bake in the oven for an hour.

2. Peel the potatoes, boil them in salted water until cooked through, then drain well. Heat the milk gently then pour over the potatoes. Add a knob of butter and mash well until smooth and creamy.

3. Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan. When it starts to bubble, throw in the rosemary and fry until crisp. Drain, and add the rosemary to the mashed potatoes with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Take the mince out of the oven, spoon over the mash, then turn up the temperature to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and bake for about 20 minutes or until bubbling and crispy and brown on top.

Pork Stir Fry

Ingredients (This is a recipe for 2 but can easily be doubled)
2 nests medium egg noodles
2 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sunflower oil
250g/9oz pork tenderloin , cut into bite-sized pieces
thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
100g mange tout
1 tsp sesame seeds

• 1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the noodles following pack instructions. Meanwhile, mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp water, then stir in the soy sauce and honey, and set aside.
• 2. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the pork and cook for 2 mins until browned all over. Add the ginger, garlic, pepper and mangetout, and cook for a further 2 mins. Reduce the heat, then add the soy and honey mixture, stirring and cooking until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Divide the drained noodles between 2 bowls. Top with the pork and vegetables, and finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Pickled Beets Recipe INGREDIENTS 1 bunch (4 or 5) beets 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard Salt and pepper METHOD 1 Remove greens from beets, save for future use (see beet greens recipe). Cut beets to uniform sizes so they will cook evenly. Steam or boil around 30 minutes or until done. (Alternatively, you can roast them by wrapping them whole in foil and cooking them in a 350°F oven for about an hour.) A fork easily inserted into the beet will tell you if the beets are done or not. 2 Drain the beets, rinsing them in cold water. Use your fingers to slip the peels off of the beets. The peels should come off easily. Discard the peels. Slice the beets. 3 Make the vinaigrette by combining the cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and dry mustard. Whisk ingredients together with a fork. The dry mustard will help to emulsify the vinaigrette. Adjust to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine beets and vinaigrette in a bowl and allow to marinate for a half hour at room temperature. Serves four.

Ham, Broccoli and Tomato Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust, pre-baked for 10 minutes
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
• 1 cup  frozen broccoli florets, thawed, well drained
• 10 to 15 cherry tomatoes, halved and drained on paper towel
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt(unless the ham is salty!)
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C

Make pie crust as directed and pre-bake for 10 minutes at 400 F or 200 C


Layer ham, cheese and thawed broccoli and cherry tomatoes in pie crust-lined pan. In medium bowl, beat all remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour over ingredients.  Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Moroccan style stew

Having eaten lamb for Easter dinner we had lots left over. What to do with it, which would also let us use up other things in the fridge. I did buy a courgette (zucchini) to add a little variety to the root veggies we did have but besides that everything was already in the house.

Ingredients

2 carrots, cut into small pieces
1 large sweet potato, cut in to medium sized pieces (so that it doesn't disintegrate or turn to mush in the cooking process)
2 medium to large potatoes, diced
1 courgette (zucchini), sliced or diced and put in 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time
1 onion, chopped
1 container of chopped tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 t (teaspoon) paprika
1-2 t mild chilli powder
1/2 t fennel seeds
1 t cinnomon
1 t cumin (powder)
pepper and salt to taste
3/4 c (6 fl. oz) white wine
1 cup stock
left over cooked lamb (if you don't have any, buy some stewing lamb and cook it in a pressure cooker by itself for about 17-20 minutes or stew it on the stove until it is tender)
Couscous for 4

Serves 4

1. Fry onions until fragrent and soft.  Just before it it ready, add the garlic.
2. Add the vegetables (except the courgette), lamb, and liquids and simmer until the vegetables are almost tender.
3. Add the courgette, and cook for 10 minutes more
4. Check seasonings, and add salt, pepper and any other seasoning as necessary.
5. Serve with couscous.

If there are any ingredients which you don't have in the cupboard, improvise.  

Goulash...yum!

Goulash:  We had this for dinner on the Saturday before Easter.  It was simple to prepare, fairly inexpensive and tasted wonderful!  I forgot the cream but it didn't matter.

Ingredients

•  * 2 tbsp olive oil
• * 500g pork tenderloin, cut into chunks
• * 30g plain flour
• * 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• * 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• * 2 of red and green pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• * 2 tbsp tomato purée
• * 2 tbsp paprika
• *1 can chopped tomotoes
• * 75ml dry white wine
• * 300ml beef stock, home-made or shop-bought
• * black pepper

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a casserole dish or heavy-based saucepan.
2. Coat the pork with the flour and brown well, in batches, in the hot casserole dish. Set the browned meat aside.
3. Add in the remaining olive oil. Add in the onion, garlic, pepper to the casserole dish and fry until softened, around 5 minutes.
4. Return the pork to the pan with the tomato puree and paprika. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, white wine and beef stock. Cover and cook it on the hob on a gentle heat for about an hour, removing the lid after 45 minutes.
6. Check seasonings and add salt and freshly ground pepper as needed. Stir in the sour cream and serve.

Ham leftovers: Ham, leek, and potato pie

Ham, Leek and Potato Pie

We had this pie for dinner because I had so much ham left over from New Year's Day dinner.  I had everything that it called for except creme fraiche but luckily found that on sale so this was a very inexpensive meal but quite spectacular in appearance.  It would make a very impressive main course for a lunch or dinner with guests.  The fact that there were potatoes in the pie, meant that I only had to make vegetables.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion , finely chopped
• 3 leeks , finely sliced
• 2 large potatoes , cut into small cubes
• 2 tbsp plain flour , plus extra for dusting
• 300ml chicken or ham stock
• 100ml pot crème fraîche (or use leftover double cream)
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 200g cooked ham , shredded
• 4 bay leaves , optional
• 375g pack puff pastry
• 1 egg , beaten, to glaze (or use milk) 

1. Heat a large frying pan, melt the butter, then add the onion and leeks. Cover, then very gently cook for 15 mins until soft. Add the potatoes after 5 mins cooking.
2. Stir in the flour, turn up the heat, then add the stock, stirring until the mix thickens a little. Take off the heat, then stir in the crème fraîche, mustard and ham. Season to taste, then cool, if you have time. Spoon the mix into a large pie dish, adding a couple of bay leaves. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
3. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut a pastry strip the same width as the lip of the dish, wet the edge of the dish with egg, then fix the strip around it. Brush the top with egg, then lay over the remaining pastry.
4. Trim pastry to the edge of the dish, then ruffle the cut edges with the knife blade to help the layers rise. Cut a few slits to let the steam escape, decorate with bay leaves, if you like, then brush all over the top with egg. Can be done up to a day ahead, keep chilled. Bake for 30 mins until risen.

Lemon Chicken

Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

• 3 juicy lemons
• 50g butter
• 3 tbsp clear honey
• leaves from 4 rosemary sprigs
• 1 garlic clove , finely chopped
• 8 chicken pieces, such as thighs and drumsticks, with skin
• 750g potatoes , peeled and cut into smallish chunks (You could also serve with rice!)

Serves 4
Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 5 - 10 mins
Cook 1 hr

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan180C. Squeeze the juice from 2 lemons into a small pan and heat with the butter, honey, rosemary, garlic and salt and pepper, until the butter melts and it smells fragrant.
2. Lay the chicken in a roasting tin - don't pile it up or it won't cook so well. Add the potatoes and drizzle with lemon butter to coat evenly. Cut the third lemon into 8 wedges and tuck them in. (Can be made up to 2 hours ahead up to this point.)
3. Roast for 50 minutes - 1 hour until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are crisp and golden. Serve with a green salad.

Fish Stew

Ingredients
Serves: 4
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
450g sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
500ml fish or vegetable stock
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
225g frozen peas
175g frozen sweetcorn
600g skinless white fish fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh thyme leaves to garnish (optional)

Preparation method
Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 30 mins
1. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are light gold.
2. Add the pepper and sweet potatoes, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the sweet potatoes begin to soften. Stir in the stock, thyme and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are just tender. Stir in the peas and sweetcorn.
3. Place the fish on top of the vegetables, cover and cook gently for 8–10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Season to taste with black pepper, then serve immediately sprinkled with fresh thyme leaves if you are using them.

Mint Sauce

Today I have decided to make a recipe from the Waitrose magazine, Minted Lamb in Filo Pastry. I wanted to make my own mint sauce, which is called for, since I have lots of mint in the garden. This one looks good!

Ingredients

bunch of mint
pinch salt
4 tbsp boiling water
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 level tbsp caster sugar

Preparation method

Strip off the mint leaves, sprinkle with salt and chop finely.
Place into a jug, add the sugar and pour over the boiling water, stir and leave to cool.
Stir in the vinegar and taste.
Add more water or vinegar and adjust seasoning to suit your taste.

Meatloaf from Delia Smith

Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) minced beef
1 lb (450 g) minced pork
2 medium onions, very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 heaped tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 level dessertspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 large egg
3 oz (75 g) white bread, sliced and crusts removed, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
3 tablespoons milk
1½ rounded teaspoons mustard powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 fl oz (110 ml) dry white wine
about 8 slices (6 oz/175 g) traditional smoked streaky bacon
salt and freshly milled black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2, 300°F (150°C).

Equipment
You will also need a 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin, 7½ x 4¾ x 3½ inches deep (19 x 12 x 9 cm deep), preferably non-stick.

This recipe first appeared in Sainsbury's Magazine.

Method

1.The best way to make a meatloaf is in a large food processor, if you've got one. In which case you can begin by chopping the onions, garlic, parsley and thyme all together until the onion is very finely chopped, then add the meats and break in the egg. 

2. Place the bread in a little bowl, spoon the milk over, then mix it with your hands or a fork until the bread has broken down to fine crumbs. 

3. Add these to the processor along with the mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, wine and a really good seasoning of salt and pepper. 

4. Now, switching on and off, or using the pulse button, mix the whole lot together until thoroughly blended. 

5. If you don't have a food processor, grate or mince the onion, chop the garlic finely then mix everything thoroughly in a large bowl. 

6. When the mixture is ready, pack it into the loaf tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon, then snip the rinds off the bacon and lay the slices all along the top of the meat, slightly overlapping, and press them down firmly.

7. Now place a piece of foil over the top and twist or pleat the corners. 

8. Stand the tin in a shallow baking tin, pour about 1½ inches (4 cm) boiling water into the tin straight from the kettle and place the whole thing on the middle shelf of the oven. 

9.Let it cook slowly for 2 hours. 

10. After that remove the foil and dig a skewer into the meatloaf; press it down to make sure that the juices are running clear. 

11. Now, if it's cooked, remove it from the oven then let it cool for about 30 minutes and after that, if you're serving it cold, replace the foil and place something heavy on top to weight it down. Leave it weighted like this until it's completely cold. This makes the meatloaf easier to slice. 

12. If you're serving the meatloaf hot, just allow it to rest for 30 minutes in the tin, covered with foil, then turn it out on to a board and serve cut in slices.