Jamie Oliver Easy Beef Stew Food

BEEF & ALE STEW

Steps:

• If using the oven to cook the stew, preheat it to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
• Put a large shallow ovenproof casserole pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil.
• Trim the celery, wash the carrots, peel the onions, then roughly chop it all about the same size as your beef chunks, adding the veg to the pan as you go.
• Season the veg with sea salt and black pepper, and fry for 10 minutes, or until softened and starting to caramelise, stirring occasionally.
• Strip in the rosemary leaves, stir in the flour for 2 minutes, then pour in the booze and let it cook away.
• Pour in the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of the spoon. Fill the tin with water, swirl around, and pour into the pan.
• Bring just to the boil, then stir in the meat, season, and cover. Either simmer slowly on the hob or place in the oven for 2 hours, or until the meat falls apart easily.
• Taste the stew and tweak the seasoning, if needed, then serve with rice or mashed potato, and some lovely veggies, or check out the topping ideas below.

JOOLS'S FAVOURITE BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160ºC/300ºF/gas 2.
• Peel and roughly chop the onion, peel and quarter the parsnips and peel and halve the carrots. Deseed and roughly dice the squash, and peel and halve the Jerusalem artichokes (if using). Pick the sage leaves.
• Heat a little oil and the butter in a casserole pan on a medium heat, add the onion and sage leaves, then fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss the meat in a little seasoned flour, then add it to the pan with all the vegetables, the tomato purée, wine and stock, then gently stir together. Season generously with black pepper and just a little sea salt.
• Bring to the boil, place a lid on top, then place in the oven until the meat is tender - sometimes this takes 3 hours, sometimes 4 - it depends on what cut of meat you're using and how fresh it is. The only way to test is to mash up a piece of meat and if it falls apart easily it's ready.
• Once cooked, turn the oven down to about 110°C/225°F/gas ¼ and just hold it there until you're ready to eat.
• The best way to serve this is by ladling big spoonfuls into bowls, accompanied by a glass of French red wine and some really fresh, warmed bread.
• Finely grate the lemon zest, pick and finely chop the rosemary and peel and finely chop the garlic, then mix together and sprinkle over the stew before serving. Just the smallest amount will make a world of difference - as soon as it hits the hot stew it will release an amazing fragrance.

JAMIE OLIVER - BEEF AND GUINNESS STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large dutch oven, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Toss the meat cubes with the 1 ½ tbsp of flour, and then in batches, brown them until seared. Remove to plate as you go.
• Add more oil if you need to, then add the celery, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the mushrooms, bay leaves, broth, tomato paste, and Guinness; bring to a boil, then cover and put into the oven.
• Let the stew bubble away in the oven for two hours. Mean while, make the dumplings.
• In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cut in your bits of butter with a pastry cutter, and then stir in the cheese. Add milk, stirring until you get a wet dough. You may need more or less, use your judgment.
• Spoon out portions of the dough about the size of a ping pong ball, roll them with your hands, and place on a cookie sheet. Put them in the fridge to chill while the stew cooks.
• When the stew is finished, plop the dumplings in one at a time, pushing them under the juices, and then put a lid back on and allow them to cook for another 30 minutes.