Main Courses

Place the meat into a basin and add the onion, garlic, chilli, herbs and seasonings, mix well together. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture into balls, the size of a walnut. Heat the oil in a frying pan with a removable handle and then add the meatballs.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
2, 3 and 4 oven Aga: Transfer the frying pan to the floor of the Roasting Oven and remove the handle. Fry until browned then turn the meatballs over and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Pour the tomatoes together with the tomato purée onto the meatballs, stir and cook for a further 5 minutes. Meanwhile bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the pasta, return to the boil and place in the Simmering Oven for the time indicated on the packet. Drain the pasta and mix together with the meatballs and tomato sauce.

Place the chicken fillets in a basin and squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle with the salt. Mix well together. Heat a small frying pan on the Simmering Plate and dry fry the cardamom, cumin and fennel seeds for 2 minutes until the seeds begin to colour. Transfer to a large bowl and add the ginger, garlic, chilli powder and yogurt, mix together. Stir in the chicken fillets and chill overnight. Place the chicken fillets on the large grill rack in the large Aga roasting tin.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
2, 3 and 4 oven Aga: Grill at the top of the Roasting Oven for about 15-20 minutes, until cooked. Serve with the Mint Yogurt. To make the Mint Yogurt; mix the yogurt, mint, salt and sugar together and serve as an accompaniment to the Tandoori Chicken.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in an Aga cast iron casserole and fry the meat in batches until browned, place to one side. Add the remaining oil to the casserole and sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually blend in the stock, orange zest and juice, tomato purée, brandy and treacle, stir well. Return the meat and juices to the casserole and season. Bring the contents to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, cover with the lid.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Transfer to the Simmering Oven for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Then stir in the mushrooms and return to the Simmering Oven for a further 30 minutes. Conventional cooking Cook on the hotplate then transfer to the oven at 140ºC (275ºF), fan oven 120ºC, Gas Mark 1 for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Then stir in the mushrooms and simmer for a further 30 minutes. Check seasoning and garnish with orange and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Place chicken, onion, celery, seasoning, thyme and water, plus washed trimmings of leeks, into the AGA stockpot, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
: Transfer to the Simmering Oven for about 3 hours, until the meat is falling from the bone. Strip the meat from the bones and cut into large pieces – this should give around 625g (1lb 6oz) of cooked chicken. Strain the stock. Sauté the leeks in the butter until just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and seasonings, add the chicken stock and bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Add the chicken pieces and place into the pie dish. Roll out the pastry and cover the dish, make a hole for the steam and use pastry trimmings to garnish the top. Brush with beaten egg. Cook on grid shelf on the floor of the Roasting Oven for about 25 minutes until risen and golden. Conventional cooking:  Poach the chicken on the hob.  Bake the pie at 200ºC (400ºF), fan oven 180ºC, Gas Mark 6 for about 25 minutes or until golden.

Place the root ginger, garlic, onion, green and red chillies into a food processor for 30 seconds to form a thick paste. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the pepper, mustard seeds, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon. Fry for 20-30 seconds and add the ginger paste. Fry for a further 5-7 minutes or until the mixture is soft and caramel in colour.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
: Either fry on the Simmering Plate or heat on the Simmering Plate and transfer to the floor of the Roasting Oven for 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon stick, ground coriander, cumin, garam masala, ginger, coconut milk, water, bay leaves and salt. Return to the Simmering Plate, stirring frequently before adding the tomatoes and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Gently slide the prawns into the sauce. Cover and place in the Simmering Oven, simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the prawns are pink and cooked. Before serving, remove the whole spices and bay leaves, stir in the lemon juice and chopped coriander. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Remove the pork from the refrigerator one hour before cooking and dry the skin with a piece of kitchen towel. Place the sliced onion into an AGA roasting tin with the rosemary and place the pork on top. Brush with a little oil and sprinkle with salt.

2 Oven AGA
2 oven AGA: Slide the pork onto the lowest set of runners in the Roasting Oven and cook for about 2-2½ hours, (add the red onions after 1 hour). Transfer to the Simmering Oven for a further 30 minutes.

3 and 4 Oven AGA
: Slide the pork into the centre of the Roasting Oven and roast for 45 minutes, add the red onions and transfer to the Baking Oven for about 1½ hours. Check the pork is cooked through and leave to rest for 15-30 minutes next to the AGA before carving. For the apple accompaniment, melt the butter and sugar together and cook for 3-4 minutes on the Simmering Plate then add the apples, turn to cover and cook until the apples begin to go translucent, about 5 minutes. Serve with the pork. Make a gravy using the meat juices together with the rosemary and onion then strain into a sauce pot.

Cut the chicken into cubes and fry in a little oil with the garlic, until lightly browned. Add the coconut cream and curry paste, stir. Add the juice and grated rind of the lime. Season and bring to the boil.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Transfer to the Simmering Oven for about an hour. Conventional cooking: cook on a low heat on the hob, for about 40 minutes Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. If you like more liquid, add a little chicken stock. Serve with Basmati rice, garnished with coriander and a salad. Steamed Rice Place 225g washed Basmati rice into an AGA saucepan with 350ml water and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil, stir and transfer to the floor of the Simmering Oven for 20 minutes

Heat a third of the oil in a large saucepan and fry the aubergine on all sides. Remove from the pan and heat the remaining oil, then fry the onions and butternut squash until lightly browned then add the garlic, ginger, chillies, coriander, turmeric, cumin and cinnamon, continue to fry for a further minute. Season. Pour on the water and stir. Add the chickpeas with the aubergines and yogurt, cover and bring up to the boil, stir.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
: Transfer to the Simmering Oven for about 50 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste and serve garnished with coriander leaves, accompanied by chapati or rice. Chapati – heat on the Simmering Plate. Use ready made or to make your own. Mix 125g of chapati flour (a fine wholemeal flour) with 100ml water, 1 tsp melted ghee (or clarified butter) and ½ tsp salt into a dough. Leave to rest for 10 minutes and roll out into 10 x 15cm (6 inch) circles and cook on the Simmering Plate, which has been lightly oiled. Conventional cooking Cook the curry on the hob. The chapattis can be made in a frying pan.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in an Aga cast iron casserole and fry the meat in batches until browned, place to one side. Add the remaining oil to the casserole and sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually blend in the stock, orange zest and juice, tomato purée, brandy and treacle, stir well. Return the meat and juices to the casserole and season. Bring the contents to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, cover with the lid.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Transfer to the Simmering Oven for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Then stir in the mushrooms and return to the Simmering Oven for a further 30 minutes. Conventional cooking: Cook on the hotplate then transfer to the oven at 140ºC (275ºF), fan oven 120ºC, Gas Mark 1 for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Then stir in the mushrooms and simmer for a further 30 minutes. Check seasoning and garnish with orange and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Mix the flour, salt, pepper and chilli flakes together and use to coat the pork. Place half the sunflower oil into a large cast iron casserole. Heat on the Boiling Plate then brown the meat in batches. Remove the meat from the pan, add the remaining oil and then fry the onion until softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking for a minute. Return the pork to the casserole and add the carrots and the squash. Add the stock and bring to the boil.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Transfer to the Simmering Oven for about 2 hours or until tender. Conventional cooking: Transfer to the centre of a pre-heated oven at 150ºC (300ºF), fan oven 130ºC, Gas Mark 2.Remove from the oven, stir in the peach conserve and then adjust the seasoning. Stir in the coriander just before serving and accompany with steamed rice.

Melt the dripping in a frying pan and fry the onions, potatoes, turnips and celery until softening. Drain and transfer to a flameproof casserole dish. Dip the chops in the seasoned flour and brown in the hot frying pan. Lay the chops on the top of the vegetables. Add the stock to the pan and bring to the boil and pour over the meat. Add the bay leaf. Cover the casserole and bring to the boil.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Transfer to the Simmering Oven for 1-1 ½ hours. Make the suet dumplings: place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix with enough water to make a soft, but manageable, dough and then form into 8 dumplings. Remove the casserole from the oven and place the dumplings on top of the gravy. Replace the lid and put the casserole on the shelf on the floor of the Roasting Oven for 20-30 minutes, until the dumplings have risen.

A day in advance, clean and cut each chicken into 8 joints, or more. Place in a glass dish and pour over the wine. Add the onions, carrots and bouquet garni, cover and place in the refrigerator. The next day remove and drain the chicken and vegetables, reserving the wine. Heat the oil or butter and brown the chicken in the base of the buffet pan. Remove the chicken and add garlic to the vegetables and heat for a couple of minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and add the brandy, ignite the spirit with a lighted taper. Then pour over the reserved wine and season. Bring to the boil, cover with the lid.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Place in the Simmering Oven and cook for 2-2½ hours. To finish; heat the bacon and mushrooms in the lid of the buffet pan until they are browned and cooked. Then add the bacon and mushrooms to the chicken stir and reheat. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Cut the white fish, salmon and smoked haddock into 1cm (½ inch) square pieces and place in the base of a large shallow pie dish. Scatter with the prawns, scallops and frozen peas. Sprinkle over the lime zest and juice. Season. To make the sauce, melt the butter, add the flour and mix together. Whisk in the milk over a low heat and continue whisking until the sauce has come to the boil and thickened. Season to taste and stir in the chopped parsley. Pour over the fish. If necessary ease the sauce between the fish pieces. Mash the hot potatoes and add the butter and cream mix together. Season with nutmeg and a little salt, if liked. Spoon the potatoes over the fish and smooth over and roughen the surface with a fork or if you prefer pipe the potato over the fish.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Cook on the grid shelf on the floor of the Roasting Oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown and the sauce is bubbling up the sides of the potato.

Melt the butter and oil together in the 2 litre stainless steel casserole and sauté the onion, garlic and pepper. Add the asparagus then the rice. Stir the mixture to coat the rice, season. Pour on the stock and wine. Bring the contents of the casserole up to the boil and cover with its lid

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Transfer the pan to the floor of the Simmering Oven and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Bring the water to the boil on the Boiling Plate, pour in the polenta and salt, stir until it thickens, about 3 minutes, and be careful to use a long handled wooden spoon or don an AGA gauntlet when stirring, as the polenta will spit. Remove from the heat and add the pepper, chillies and sage. Pour into a Bake-O-Glide lined half size baking tray. Smooth the top and put to cool for about half an hour. When solid turn the polenta out onto a chopping board and remove the Bake-O-Glide. Use a cutter to cut the polenta into shapes, an oval or circle is best. Place the trimmings into the base of a buttered 25 x 15cm (10 x 6 inches) deep ovenproof dish and arrange the shapes over the top. To make the sauce; place the butter, flour and milk into a saucepan and place on the Simmering Plate, whisk continuously until the sauce thickens. Add the mustard and cheese, stir to melt the cheese. Pour the cheese sauce over the polenta and sprinkle with the grated mozzarella.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Place the dish on the grid shelf set on the lowest set of runners down in the Roasting Oven for 20-25 minutes until heated through and browned on the top.

Heat the olive oil in the buffet pan and fry the chicken thighs until golden, add the chunks of chicken and the slices of chorizo and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden. Remove from the pan and then add the onion and garlic, cook until softened then add the tomatoes and pepper slices, season. Cook for 2 minutes. Take 3 tablespoons of boiling water and add the saffron strands, soak for a few minutes. Return the chicken to the pan then add the rice, stir well and heat until the rice is well coated. Add the stock and saffron water. Bring to the boil and stir to distribute all the ingredients. Boil for 2 minutes without stirring.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Transfer the uncovered pan to the Simmering Oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, place on the Simmering Plate while you stir the rice, then tuck the cleaned, closed mussels into the rice, and return to the Simmering Oven for 10-15 minutes (the mussels will open on cooking – discard any that do not). Meanwhile cook the prawns in a little oil for 3-4 minutes until pink and boil the peas. Take the pan from the oven and stir in the peas, check seasoning and place the prawns on the top, cover the pan with a lid and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Serve from the pan with chopped parsley and lemon wedges

Firstly make the pizza dough by placing the flour, yeast and salt into a bowl and mixing together then make a well in the centre. Add the oil and most of the tepid water and mix well adding the remaining water as required. (Different flours and how they are stored means they may differ slightly on the amount of water). Knead for 5 minutes until smooth – use a stand mixer with the dough hook or by hand. Cover the bowl with cling film and place next to the AGA to rise for an hour. Meanwhile make the tomato sauce by heating the oil in a saucepan. Gently fry the onion and garlic on the Simmering Plate until soft but not coloured. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée and sugar. Stir and bring to the boil on the Boiling Plate, boil for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture has thickened to a spreadable consistency, cool and season. Wash the spinach leaves, melt the butter in a pan with the salt and black pepper, add the spinach leaves. Cover with a lid and cook on the Simmering Plate for about 4 minutes, drain well then season with a little grated nutmeg. Take the dough from the bowl and divide into three pieces. Knead each piece into a ball then roll out into a circle about 25cm (10 inches) in diameter, place onto a circle of Bake-O-Glide. Brush the surface of the dough with a little olive oil. Leave to rise for 15 minutes then spread with the tomato sauce, (any sauce left-over can be frozen) arrange the drained spinach, mozzarella cheese slices and black olives (if used) over the top.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Cook direct on the floor of the Roasting Oven for 10-12 minutes, until crisp and cooked through. Serve with salad.

Place the gammon joint into a saucepan and cover with water, bring to the boil. Drain off all the water and rinse the meat. Replace in the clean saucepan and pour over the apple juice or cider, then top up with enough water to barely cover the meat. Add the onion, parsley and peppercorns. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Place on the floor of the Simmering Oven and simmer for 1½ - 1¾ hours. Remove the gammon from the liquid, cool a little and remove any string. Take a sharp knife and peel off the rind. Score the fat into a diamond pattern. Place the gammon onto a piece of Bake-O-Glide in the AGA roasting tin then spread ready-made mustard thickly over the fat and press Demerara sugar all over the mustard. Slide the tin on the lowest set of runners in the Roasting Oven and cook until the top is nicely browned, about 15-20 minutes. Place on a serving dish and garnish the diamonds of fat with cloves.

For the base, cream the butter and sugar together well. Add both flours, making a fairly stiff dough. Press pastry into the tin as evenly as possible then crimp the top edge. Leave in the freezer for at least ½ hour.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGA
Bake for 10-15 minutes on the oven grid shelf on the floor of the Roasting Oven. Use the cold plain shelf slid on the second runners down to protect whilst cooking. Bake until pale brown. For the filling, break the chocolate into an ovenproof bowl and melt it with the butter, coffee and spices in the Simmering Oven. Cool a little before beating in the cream, sugar and eggs then pour the filling into the pastry base. Bake for a further 25 minutes until the filling is set ensuring it does not get too brown. Use the cold plain shelf above for the last 10 minutes in particular. Cool. Serve dusted with icing sugar and have whipped cream or ice cream with the pie. Fresh fruit is served with this dessert in hot countries.