In a Stew

Dear Tom

How did the shopping go? Are you less Old Mother Hubbard and more full to bursting now? Any unusual purchases?

Not knowing what you have bought, but knowing that you like your butcher and grocer I thought the safest idea to get you back on track would be a simple stew. Nothing complicated, nothing fancy, and once you have made a basic one you can tart it up in anyway you like. It can be good for a tight budget, easy to freeze or reheat and lets face it, its a comfort food and this cold snap has a lot of us shouting out for some of that. so, here goes, back to the lessons

Simple food, simply done

Ingredients

500g (ish) casserole beef, I used shin beef for mine
2 medium onions, sliced
3 medium carrots peeled and thickly cut
3 medium parsnips peeled and thickly cut
Handful of pearl barley
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 Litres water
2 tbsps cooking oil

Method

Oven on to low, about Gas 1-2/140'c

Heat oil in the bottom of a casserole dish and brown beef, just briefly, you aren't trying to cook it, just give it some colour and seal it

Add all of the other ingredients

Pop a lid on your pot and put it into the oven, for about 3-4 hrs if Gas2 or 6ish at Gas1 check occasionally and stir, although it is happy to be left doing its own thing whilst you are out doing yours too

This is great cooked the day before you need it and re heat it

Serve with fresh bread or thicken the liquid and serve on mashed potatoes

I hope to be posting a basic bread recipe on the weekend workshop, so give that a go too