Beef Stew #soupswappers

Let's enjoy beef stew one last time before the heat sets in!  Putting together a post that featured English Stew was a challenge.  Not because it was English Stew but because I am traveling back and forth between my home in California and my daughter in Washington.

Yes, English Stew is the theme for this month's Saturday Soup Swappers!  The Saturday Soup Swappers is a group of bloggers brought together by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm. The group gets together on the third Saturday of the month to share soups or stews based on a theme selected by one of the members. This Saturday is hosted by Sneha at Sneha's Recipe.  If you are interested in joining in on the fun, follow the link above for more information. All are welcome!

I guess I had a hard time dealing with stew, weather and traveling.  My first idea was a Pumpkin and Lentil Stew that really intrigued me but I kept thinking fall so I switched to Beef Stew and Dumplings and still had issues thinking about the weather...but hey, I'm in Seattle, nothing stays the same for long....a nice storm moved in...rain, fog, fog horns, winds just the kind of weather that goes with stew!  But, don't expect dumplings.  Somehow the four year old was focused on the mashed potatoes so dumplings never happened.

Of course there is more to the story than a four year old, there is always the story of ovens. I believe that I just had my last dance with this oven.  The kitchen remodel at my daughter's is set to begin.

I hope you enjoy the richness of this wonderful beef stew and if you can't make the dumplings, don't forget fluffy mashed potatoes!  I can hardly wait for leftovers!



Beef Stew
adapted from Nigel Slater

Yield:  4 servings

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds lean stew meat, cut into bite size pieces
2-3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, peeled, rough chop
2 leeks, white and light green only, cleaned and sliced into half moons.
3 celery ribs, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into chunks
3/4 cup peas
3/4 cup red wine
2 1/4 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
3 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce or to taste, if desired
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or to taste
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven:  350° F.

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter.  Add the stew meat and brown on all sides.

Sprinkle the flour over the beef and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.  Add the garlic and the vegetables. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.  Note:  I added the peas after the stew was removed from the oven.

Stir in the wine, stock, and herbs.  Add the worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar, adjust to taste. Add the salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil.  Cover with a lid and place in the oven for two hours.  (Check the liquid level occasionally.  Add additional stock if needed.)

To serve place a scoop of mashed potatoes in each bowl.  Add a ladle of stew and sprinkle with parsley.

PRINTABLE RECIPE


We really enjoyed this stew and the four year old did too!


Comments

  1. I'm too late to beat the heat here but the stew sounds delicious for the future.

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  2. Beef stew is always a favorite...comfort food at it's best. And this one looks truly comforting! - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck - Colleen

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  3. One of the nice things about stew is that you can use whatever you are hungering for and whatever you have on hand. Dumplings, noodles, potatoes, bread.....I have used them all with equal success. Your stew sounds wonderful.

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  4. Your beef stew looks so rich and tasty, and I love your idea of serving it over mashed potatoes. Pot roast in a stew, I love it!

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  5. Kathy, Big Dude is right...we live about a mile from each other as the crow flies. The heat of summer is here. Nevertheless, thanks to the wonders of air conditioning I'm good for a beautiful flavorful beef stew any time of the year. Your's looks and sounds terrific! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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  6. I'm with the four year old. I'd have mashed potatoes every day if I could. Your stew is gorgeous and delicious sounding.

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  7. Delicious stew with mashed potatoes.

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  8. Your stew looks so good! So very good. Unfortunately, it is too hot in Arizona to think this way right now, but just wait...winter will be here shortly and then I am trying this. Thank you.

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