There's a fly in my soup!: Voila! Klaus’s Tomato Stew!

It’s the weekend! Stop your work and start with eating and drinking! What better way to relax after a crazy week than a good glass of wine and some good food! It’s still a bit chilly here in Cape Town so I decided to share one of my own personal recipes with you guys. I love cooking and enjoying good food but sometimes a dash of creativity plus extreme hunger sparks crazy recipe ideas. Some of which even work! So here is my famous ‘Klaus’s Tomato Stew’. You’re probably wondering why my stew is called ‘Klaus’s Tomato Stew’ and not just plain tomato stew. Firstly, this is not just your average tomato stew and secondly, the day I wrote this recipe happens to be the same day I got my first goldfish. Yes, yes I named my tomato stew after my pet goldfish…

Tomato stew is served with a glass or two of Alvi's Drift 2011 Chardonnay - Viognier

This recipe is really tasty and very simple to make and its heartiness will melt any mother-in-law’s fidget disposition any day. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Ingredients:

1 tin plain chopped tomatoes

115g tomato paste

400ml chicken stock (1 cube)

1 big onion

3 garlic cloves

1 ½ cup water

Lambs neck (About 6 pieces)

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

3-4 tbs sugar

½ tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp Parsley

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp sweet basil

1 tsp rosemary

2 tsp garlic flakes

3 large waxy potatoes peeled and cubed

½ cup milk

1. Fry the meat until sealed and take out of pot.

2. Sauté the chopped garlic and onions until brown.

3. Add the meat and stir together.

4. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste and chopped tomatoes.

5. Add water and the rest of your ingredients. Let it simmer for 40 minutes on medium to low heat until sauce is nice and thick or meat and potatoes are soft and tender.

If you are in a rush you can flash boil your potatoes in boiling water for 5 minutes.

Instead of letting the stew simmer for 40 minutes you can throw it in a pressure cooker and let it cook for 20min on high. After 20min add your potatoes and let it gently simmer until they are nicely cooked.