How to make a cartouche

A cartouche is a round of baking parchment that is placed on top of a simmering stew or on poaching fruit. It sits on top of the liquid, therefore not allowing it to evaporate too much, keeping in the aromas and moisture. The simplest way to make a cartouche is to sit the lid of the pot you’re cooking the stew in on top of a sheet of baking parchment then, using a non-toxic pencil or pen, draw an outline and cut out the circle with scissors. Using a sharp knife, poke it twice near the centre. Once the liquid has come to the boil, turn to a simmer and gently press the cartouche on top.