Soups & stews
Classic beef stew
There's little to beat this sumptuous beef stew for dinner on a cold evening. It's even better made a day ahead so that the flavour has time to develop. Serve with buttery cabbage and mashed potato or thickly buttered crusty brown bread.
Ingredients
- 800g braising beef or stewing steak, cut into chunks
- 3 tbsp seasoned flour
- olive oil
- 200g bacon, cut into lardons
- ½ large celeriac, cut into chunks
- 2 carrots, cut into chunks
- 100g shallots, peeled and , if large, cut in half
- 2 bay leaves
- thyme sprigs
- 300g chestnut mushrooms, cut in half if large
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- 500ml red wine
- 300ml beef or chicken stock
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 150°C/Gas 2. Toss the beef in the flour. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a casserole dish or heavy-bottomed, ovenproof saucepan and brown the beef briefly in batches, then set it aside.
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Step 2
Fry the bacon for 2-3 minutes in the casserole. Add the celeriac and carrot with the shallots, bay leaves and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften, then stir in the mushrooms and tomato purée and cook for a few minutes more.
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Step 3
Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for a few minutes. Add the beef, stir thoroughly, then put the lid on the casserole and cook in the oven for 2-3 hours, until tender.
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Step 4
Check seasoning and scatter with parsley before serving.