That’s an understatement. It’s f*cking freezing.
I swear there hasn’t been a winter this cold since I moved back to London. I have swapped my pretty fur trim gloves for big thick things that look like they belong in a boxing ring and still I can’t feel my hands by the time I get home. In fact yesterday I couldn’t feel anything below my knees either, which led to a very embarrassing tumble outside Tesco.
Even in weather like this, I still get bored of stews so I’ve been trying to vary them as much as possible. Veal blanquette has made an appearance as has a spicy root vegetable and lentil curry but this week’s favourite was the one below.It’s an interesting combination of flavours: slow cooked beef with warm spice, sweet sultanas and a slight bitterness from the pepper.I blogged it a few years ago before my hard drive crashed but that page is in quite a state so it is worth reproducing.
Cephalonian Beef Stew
- 3-4 large shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 very small, or half a large green pepper, cored, deseeded, sliced
- 200g stewing braising steak
- half a small butternut squash, peeled and chopped
- a handful of sultanas
- 3-5 cloves
- a splash (capful) of red wine vinegar
- 400ml beef stock
- a heaped tsp of crushed coriander seeds
- 1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
- cooked tagliatelle, tossed in marscapone and nutmeg to serve
- Brown the beef in a medium suacepan (I needed to split it into 2 batches). Remove the heat and set aside.
- In the same pan sautee the peppers until soft. Remove and set aside.
- Add the shallots to the pan and allow to soften.
- Return the beef to the pan and stir in the spices.
- Add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped squash, vinegar and and simmer for another 30-40 minutes until the beef is tender and the squash soft.
- Stir the peppers back into the pan
- Taste and season and serve over the tagliatelle.
That’s an understatement. It’s f*cking freezing.
I swear there hasn’t been a winter this cold since I moved back to London. I have swapped my pretty fur trim gloves for big thick things that look like they belong in a boxing ring and still I can’t feel my hands by the time I get home. In fact yesterday I couldn’t feel anything below my knees either, which led to a very embarrassing tumble outside Tesco.
Even in weather like this, I still get bored of stews so I’ve been trying to vary them as much as possible. Veal blanquette has made an appearance as has a spicy root vegetable and lentil curry but this week’s favourite was the one below.It’s an interesting combination of flavours: slow cooked beef with warm spice, sweet sultanas and a slight bitterness from the pepper.I blogged it a few years ago before my hard drive crashed but that page is in quite a state so it is worth reproducing.
Cephalonian Beef Stew
- 3-4 large shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 very small, or half a large green pepper, cored, deseeded, sliced
- 200g stewing braising steak
- half a small butternut squash, peeled and chopped
- a handful of sultanas
- 3-5 cloves
- a splash (capful) of red wine vinegar
- 400ml beef stock
- a heaped tsp of crushed coriander seeds
- 1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
- cooked tagliatelle, tossed in marscapone and nutmeg to serve
- Brown the beef in a medium suacepan (I needed to split it into 2 batches). Remove the heat and set aside.
- In the same pan sautee the peppers until soft. Remove and set aside.
- Add the shallots to the pan and allow to soften.
- Return the beef to the pan and stir in the spices.
- Add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped squash, vinegar and and simmer for another 30-40 minutes until the beef is tender and the squash soft.
- Stir the peppers back into the pan
- Taste and season and serve over the tagliatelle.
I said the same thing to Fred last night about the cold. We went out during the day and then came home to a lovely warm house, only to have to brave the cold later on. Even though we had the prospect of a lovely dinner to come, it was still a struggle to find the motivation to leave the house.
This looks like an interesting combination, I know what you mean about stews being repetitive. They’re lovely and warming but can always end up tasting the same.
Comment by Ginger — January 11, 2009 @ 3:27 pm
We woke up to snow last Monday morning and it didn’t disappear until Thursday afternoon!
Stew can be repetitive, but I love the flavours in this rich and comforting recipe.
Comment by Margaret — January 11, 2009 @ 7:47 pm
Cold? Cold? What the hell are you talking about? Get your a*se up here to North Yorkshire and I’ll show you what cold is. You southern nancies are all the same. You sound like one of those whingeing Arsenal footballers who wear warm gloves on the pitch in mid summer.
Comment by Mike — January 12, 2009 @ 6:05 pm
well… you aren’t the only one currently hating winter! we have had highs of -1F so far!
however, a recipe like this can surely thaw out my frozen bones! thanks
Comment by candyce — January 26, 2009 @ 7:17 pm