5 Delicious One-Pot Dishes For Halloween

1. Orzo Cacciatore

Cacciatore means ‘hunter’ in Italian. As British game season commences, feel free to sub out the chicken for delicious locally caught venison or pheasant.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 chicken joints (thighs, legs, breast etc.)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 onion
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 1 lemon
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• 200g of orzo
• 400ml of chicken stock
• Thyme or parsley
• Optional: Olives for a sharp salt injection and depth of flavour

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil in a heavy casserole pot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then throw into the mix with the fresh rosemary and halved lemon. Pour in the wine and simmer for a minute, then add the tomatoes and 250ml chicken stock (and olives, if using). Simmer for 1 hour. Stir in the orzo in the final 20 minutes, adding a little more stock if needed. The orzo will soak up the broth. Stir at the end. Taste and season. Scatter the aromatic herbs.

2. Smokey Black Beans (v)

Think Mexican mole-style velvety beans with Deep South rice and you’ve got this smokey pot nailed. Simple to make and luxurious to eat.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1-2 tins of black beans
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of ground coriander
• 1 tbsp of tomato purée
• Salt & pepper
• Rice (80g per person)
• Veg or chicken stock

METHOD

Finely chop the onions. In a heavy oven-proof pot, add the spices, onions and garlic. Sauté on a low heat. Squeeze in the tomato purée; add the stock, beans and rice. The stock needs to cover the rice so there’s enough to be absorbed over the cooking duration. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes on a low heat. If you run out of liquid, add a few tablespoons more. When it’s cooked, taste and season. To finish, serve with fresh coriander and a blob of sour cream and slices of avocado. You can also wrap in a flatbread.

3. Pasta & Fagioli

That’s Italian for ‘pasta and beans’. This classic soup is as comforting as your favourite woolly jumper. 

INGREDIENTS

• 200g of tubular pasta
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 4 rashers of bacon or pancetta
• 1 stick of celery 
• 1 small onion
• 1-2 carrots
• 1 glass of white wine
• 1 tin of haricot or cannellini beans, drained
• 250ml of stock
• Parsley
• Parmesan
• Optional: a sprig of thyme in the stock will do no harm

METHOD

Finely chop your onion, celery and carrot – or blitz the whole lot for a few seconds in the blender, ensuring it still has a chunky texture. In a heavy pot, sweat the mix in olive oil. Add the bacon bits. Now pour in the white wine and cook off for a minute or so. Next, add the tomatoes and pasta – pour in stock or water at this point as the pasta will fast absorb the liquid. Taste and season, and slow cook until the pasta is nearly done, then add the beans. To finish, taste again and serve in bowls with shavings of Parmesan. Missing some greens? Kale is cathartic with this medley.

4. Sweet & Spicy Lentils (v)

This sumptuous veg-kicking casserole ticks all the boxes for vegans and carnivores alike.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium onion
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 apples, grated
• ​400ml boiling water
• 1 stock cube
• 3 tbsp of tomato purée
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 1 tbsp of dried mustard
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar
• 200g of red split lentils
• 1-2 tsp of white wine vinegar

METHOD

Heat the veg oil in the casserole pot, add all the vegetables and sauté. Crumble in the stock cubes and water with everything else on the list. Simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. The apple imparts acidity, the carrots a sweetness and the vinegar a tanginess, making it a moreish vegan staple you’ll keep returning to on cold nights.

5. Lazy Sausage Risotto

A treat not only because of its warming chilli kick but because there is minimal stirring.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 280g of arborio rice
• 200ml of white wine
• 600ml of chicken stock
• 120g of good-quality Italian sausages 
• 1 small red chilli 
• 25g of butter 
• Parmesan

METHOD

Melt 15g butter in the pot. Sweat the onion and garlic, then you can throw in other diced vegetables of your choice (carrots, celery, courgette, kale, etc). Slice the sausages into chunks. Throw in with the chilli and sizzle for a few minutes. Pour in the rice. Spread the butter throughout everything so it’s all got a layer of fat. Pour 450ml of hot chicken stock into the rice pot. Then the wine. Place a top on and leave it to simmer gently for 20 minutes. At this point check the rice. It should be nearly done. If it’s running low on liquid, add the remaining 150ml stock. To finish, stir in the final 10g butter in cubes and a decent dusting of Parmesan.