Jan 16

Jan 16 Cold Day Comfort Casserole

This comforting beef casserole with a rich, thick gravy is a perfect cold day comfort food. Packed with nutrients and iron, it is full of extra vitamins with added butternut squash, skin-on potatoes and plenty of fresh herbs.

This casserole is a slower cook but it will sit quite happily in the oven whilst you get on with other things. You can also make it in advance and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze it for even deeper flavours. If you are reheating, leave out the final addition of herbs until you reheat it and make sure it is piping hot throughout before eating.

Warming and satisfying on its own, it is also lovely served with extra greens and even crusty bread if you are as hungry as my teenage son.

Method

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 1hr 55 mins

Pre-heat the oven to 190c, 170c Fan, Gas Mark 5

You will need a large, heavy based casserole pan suitable to use on the hob and in the oven.

First, chop the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and set to one side. Cut the beef stew into 2.5cm pieces, removing any excess fat. Put the plain flour on a plate and dredge the beef cubes through it.

You will need to cook the beef in batches. Heat some of the olive oil in the pan and add enough pieces of beef to cover the bottom of the pan, without overcrowding it. Season the beef with salt and pepper in the pan. I find this more effective than putting it in the dredging flour. Use tongs to turn the pieces after couple of minutes to brown on the other side. Remove the beef from the pan to a plate and keep warm. Repeat this process until all the beef has been browned.

Next, add the remainder of any olive oil and add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Cook gently for 5 minutes until soft but not brown. While it is softening, get your beef stock ready. Once the vegetables are soft, add in the tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaf, dried thyme and half the chives and parsley. Bring to the boil and check the seasoning.

Finally, add in the browned beef and bring back to the boil, and cover with the lid. Carefully, transfer to the bottom half of the oven and cook for 1hr and 15mins.

Chopped the butternut squash and new potatoes. Place the new potatoes only in a steamer and steam for 10 mins until just soft as you come towards the end of the cooking time.

Remove the casserole from the oven and check the meat is tender. Remove the bay leaf. Add the butternut squash and new potatoes, stirring through and making sure it is coated in the sauce. If you need it, add a small amount of water but bear in mind that the butternut squash will give off some liquid when it cooks.

Return to the oven for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and check the butternut squash is soft and the potatoes are warmed through. Stir though the rest of the herbs.

Serve with steamed greens and crusty bread if you like something to mop the rich gravy up with.

Ingredients

2 tblspns olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

1 large carrot chopped

1 large stick of celery chopped

2 garlic clove chopped

600g lean beef stewing steak

Plain flour

200g butternut squash cut into 2.5cm pieces

300g baby new potatoes cut into 2.5cm pieces

1 pint of beef stock