Recipes
Beef Stew in Rich Red Wine and Brandy Sauce
A heart-warming dish on a cold winter’s day. If there is too much for one meal, you can freeze the rest and enjoy another lovely meal when you do not have the time to cook. The same recipe can also be used with game.
h4 Ingredients (for 4-6 people)
- Approx 7/800g Highland Beef Stewing Steak, Plate (cut into chunks) or Best casserole cubes
- 3-400ml red wine
- Wine glass of brandy
- 450 ml beef stock (cube will do)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 225g bacon rashers or streaky bacon, cut into strips
- 2 onions, thinly sliced or 20 small onions
- 1 bouquet garni (thyme, 3-4 bay leaves, parsley)
- 2-3 carrots, sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 50g Beurre manié (25g butter, softened/ 25g flour)
- Mushrooms (fresh or dried)
- 5 juniper berries, crushed (optional)
- 150g dried cranberries (optional)
Method
- Into a large fireproof casserole, pour the oil, heat and quickly brown the bacon. Remove bacon (and fat juice) and brown the beef chunks (in 2 or 3 different batches – use another frying pan if necessary) over a very high heat.
- Return all the beef and bacon to the pan, put the lid on, reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so they do not stick.
- Remove the lid, pour in the brandy and ignite it. Be prepared to leap backwards! Shake the casserole until all the alcohol has been burnt off (about 5 min).
- Then pour in the wine, plus enough stock to cover the meat. Add the carrots, the bouquet garni, the juniper berries and the tomato purée. Season and stir well. Cover and cook gently for 30 minutes (2 hours if using plate).
- While the casserole is cooking: put 50g of butter into a medium-sized pan and brown the onions.
- To make the beurre manié: mix together the soft butter and the flour by hand until it looks crumbly.
- After 30 minutes of cooking the stew (2 hours if using plate), add the onions, the mushrooms and the cranberries. Simmer gently for about 35 minutes. Remove the big pieces of the bouquet garni. Draw the casserole off the heat and whisk in the beurre manié.
- Simmer gently for about 15-20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.