AMANDA’S BEEF STEW WITH CARROTS AND POTATOES
“Easy French stew that can be made days ahead and freezes beautifully…. just defrost at room temperature, heat in oven and enjoy…”
- 1½ kg beef, cut into 37 mm chunks (I find boneless chuck the best, but good quality meat with enough marbling, is good)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut into 25 mm chunks
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry red wine (use red grape juice if preferred)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 – 3 bay leafs
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 500 g small white boiling potatoes, cut in half
- fresh chopped parsley, for serving, optional
Preheat oven to 160 °C and set an oven rack in lower middle of oven. Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy bottom pot, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and simmering. Brown the meat in three batches, turning with tongs, for about five minutes per batch; add one tablespoon more oil for each batch (to sear the meat properly, do not crowd the pan and let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs). Transfer meat to a large plate and set aside. Add onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping brown bits from bottom of pan, for about five minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Add beef with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with flour. Stir with wooden spoon until flour is dissolved, 1 – 2 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, water, bay leaves, thyme, and sugar. Stir to loosen any brown bits from bottom of pan and bring to a boil.
Cover pot with a lid, transfer to preheated oven, and braise for two hours (add more water if needed). Remove pot from oven and add carrots and potatoes. Cover and place back in oven for about an hour more, or until vegetables are cooked, the broth is thickened and the meat is tender. Fish out bay leaves and discard, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Serve the stew warm – or let it come to room temperature and then store in refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve.
This stew improves in flavour if made at least one day ahead. Reheat, covered, over medium heat. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
The stew can be frozen for up to three months.
Just omit potatoes because they don’t freeze well. Before serving, defrost the stew in refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat on stove top over medium-low heat until hot.
Posting by Elize de Kock
Recipe and photo: Amanda Conradie
