Object Recipes: Casserole Pan
Title of object: Casserole Pan (British made, lifetime warranty)
Reason for choice: This pan is a stainless steel casserole pot that I bought recently in a bid to get rid of using any pans coated in Teflon or a similar non-stick material, which deteriorate quite quickly with use and need to be replaced (and there are said to be health concerns from ingesting the coating over time). So, quality stainless steel that would last a lifetime became my brief. And then a friend of mine, Felix De Pass, posted images on Instagram of a new set he had designed. They looked sturdy and durable with a simple shape and timeless aesthetic. I bought the whole set plus a few of the cast iron pots too. I cook all sorts in these pans and get enjoyment from them each time. They attract comments from foodies because they exude quality but, equally, visually they don’t shout ‘design’.
Designer of object: Felix de Pass for Crane Cookware
Material: S3 tri ply Stainless Steel
Recipe: Vegetable stock
I make a whole variety of tasty and sometimes complex dishes in this pan but I thought I’d focus on something very simple instead - veggie stock. For a myriad reasons, in 2020 I finally turned my back on supermarkets. With my conscious hat on, I now only buy produce from independent producers selling through independent suppliers and I avoid packaging at all costs. What’s this got to do with veg stock? Well, my weekly biodynamic fruit and veg box arrives completely unpackaged, the produce is muddy from the field, and hasn’t been trimmed to conform to a shelf or packet size. The flavour of everything is intense, an indication of nutrient density. It feels wrong to discard the trimmings as I’d rather extract as much of the nutrients as possible from every part of the plant. So, as a weekly ritual, I make a vegetable stock by piling that week’s trimmings (the tops of leeks, the skins of onions, the top and bottom of carrots, the leafy part of celery etc) into my large saucepan, add water and simmer for an hour. The result is delicious stock for use with any type of soup, risotto or otherwise. And this saves me buying processed and packaged bouillon. There is something about a humble yet nutritious seasonal veg stock simmering away in this elegant pan that gives me an unexplained feeling that everything is going to be alright that week.
Ingredients:
1 onion (the whole thing: skin, roots etc), quartered
A few celery stalks, roughly chopped (add the leaves if you have them)
1 carrot (scrubbed but not peeled), roughly chopped
Leek leaves (the tougher dark green part that you might not cook with), roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
10-15 whole peppercorns
Parsley stalks (if you have any)
Fresh thyme sprigs (if you have any)
Optional extras: pretty much any other veg scrap can be added, especially anything looking a bit floppy or past it in the fridge, such as the tough upper stalks on fennel, the wilted outer leaves of lettuce or cabbage, fading fresh herbs etc. Some people say brassicas such as broccoli can make the stock bitter but I haven’t noticed that. If you eat meat, you could also add leftover bones for a richer broth.
Method:
Add all ingredients to the pan, cover with water, and bring to the boil with the lid on.
Then lower the heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes (by this time, the vegetables have released everything).
Leave to cool then strain, keeping the liquid for use in a wide variety of dishes. You can keep it in the fridge for a few days or freeze it. Nibble on the remaining veg if you fancy, otherwise give the spent veggies to your compost.
Object and recipe contributed by: Max Fraser @maxfraserdesign is a design author, journalist, curator and consultant. He has authored various design books throughout his career, contributed to magazines and newspapers across the world, hosted filmed content and live events, and consulted for private and pubic bodies internationally. He lives between London (UK) and Jura (France) and dedicates a lot of his time and headspace to food and farming.
Photography credits: Max Fraser, Crane Cookware, and The Conran Shop