Apr 1

Apr 1 Beef & Wine Stew

“April weather, rain & sunshine both together.”

Said someone once.

This weekend it's very much the former. I'm in the mood for a warming pot of something beefy with plenty of wholesome veg.

Spuds as well.

A slow-cooking casserole in the oven to idle away an afternoon whilst reading the paper.

Oven 140C/Gas 6

For two

500g Shin of Beef cut into large pieces (a job for the butcher)

1tbsp Seasoned Flour

10 Button Onions or Shallots

10 Mushrooms

4 Carrots cut into chunks

1 Onion chopped

40g Streaky Bacon cut into thick strips

3 Garlic Cloves sliced

2 Bay Leaves

1 Thyme Sprig

100ml Beef Stock

500ml Red Burgundy

Parsley to garnish

Heat some oil & butter in a heavy ovenproof frying pan or casserole

Toss the pieces of beef in the seasoned flour & let them colour in the pan

Remove before adding the chopped onion together with the bacon strips, button onions & carrots

Once everything is soft & looking lightly golden return the beef together with the garlic, bay leaves & the thyme sprig

Next in, the wine & the stock plus the mushrooms

Season

Pop the lid or a foil cover onto your pot and then take it to the oven to cook the stew for 2 hours

I treasure days like these. Work is done for a few days. There's something tasty bubbling away in the oven.

Just the potatoes to do & some extra greens to grace the place.

A little parsley to finish the stew.

“With the coming of Spring, I am calm again.” – Gustav Mahler.

AMM