Hearty Beef Stew with Bouquet Garni
History:
Yx and I prepared this stew 1 day in advance for an LHE gathering on 20 March 2007, together with a Smoked Salmon & Honey Lemon Muffin (recipe coming soon!)
The materials (Recipe for 10):
The main stuff
Beef ribs (1kg)
Beef (2kg) - cheaper cuts will be great, as stewing tenderises them like mad. So stuff like shoulder and harder cuts are suitable.
Green zucchini
Yellow zucchini
Potatoes (1 kg)
Large onions (3)
Carrots (3 large ones)
Parsnip root (1)
Pearl onions
Bouquet garni
Parsley (3 stalks) - I used only the bottom-most 2 inches of stem
Bay leaves (8, dried)
Basil (1 teaspoon, dried)
Thyme (4 stalks, fresh) - I used mainly the leaves and discarded most of the stem
Marjoram (1/2 teaspoon, dried) - use VERY sparingly!
Saffron (1 teaspoon)
To complete the broth
Good red wine (1 cup)
Canned oxtail soup (1/2 can)
Corn flour
Salt & pepper to taste
The method:
- Fill a large pot with 5 litres of water and bring to a boil
- Add chopped onions to boiling water, and herbs. Traditional bouquet garni can be made by tying the herbs into a bundle, but if just added loose they will be fine too. Add beef ribs to make a broth, and let it boil under low heat for 15-20 minutes
- For the beef, trim off gristle and fat, and cube. Add to the pot of broth, and continue boiling under low heat until tender. I stewed this mix for 1 full day on charcoal, but if using a gas stove this can also be achieved in 2-3 hours.
- Peel potatoes and pearl onions, cube the potatoes and add both potatoes and whole pearl onions into broth. Add carrots, and stew for another 30 minutes-1hour.
- Finally, cube the zucchini and parsnip and add to broth, and stew for another 30 minutes.
- Add wine, canned oxtail soup, and cornstarch solution to thicken the stew.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
