I cooked a big pot of Elizabeth David's boeuf en daube today, to be consumed tomorrow evening with our bubble friend. Any stew or daube is ten times better the next day, which is the aim. That was enough cooking for one day, so we fraternised a new fish and chip outlet, Potters, in Bude tonight. Cod in beer batter, chips triple-fried in beef dripping and, of course, mushy peas. It's a restaurant which can't open right now, so they've done the enterprising thing of temporarily converting to a chippy takeout. It was superb. The daube tomorrow, probably untraditionally, will be consumed with mash and some greens. Despite the lack of liquid additions in the recipe, lots of rich gravy is always produced. The recipe is in her book French Provincial Cooking. You really must use the right beef, top rump, cut into little steaks about two or three inches square. The dish is easy, and it's a masterpiece.