December 2006, Peppered Winter Stew

This month's recipe is supplied by Heather Duez, chef at the Restaurant With No Name. It is a real winter warmer, The two ingredients that make this dish are the redcurrant jelly and the pepper.

Ingredients (4 people):

800 gm stewing beef cut into 11/2 ins cubes
25 gm seasoned flour
olive oil
200 gm shallots or baby onions
200 gm onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 bottle red wine
120 ml red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
6 cloves
1 flat tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
500 ml beef stock
1 kg of your favourite mixed root vegetables, parsnips, carrots, turnip, celeriac, swede etc. in chunky pieces.

Method:

Toss meat in seasoned flour and, in your largest casserole, fry in hot oil in several batches to brown on all sides. Set aside. Add a little more oil and fry the shallots or baby onions until golden brown. Set aside. Fry the chopped onion and garlic until soft and just turning golden. Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add wine, red wine vinegar to the onion mix and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Now add the redcurrant jelly, thyme, bay leaves, cloves and black pepper. Put the meat back into the casserole and just cover with the beef stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and put in an oven at 180°C for 90 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and remove the meat. Strain the liquid making sure you squeeze any residue through and put back in the casserole dish. Replace the meat. Add the prepared root vegetables and the browned baby onions and put back in the oven for 50 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are very tender.

Serve with, what else, a heap of creamed potato.