Chef Kevin Dundon from Dunbrody House in Wexford shares his hearty stew recipes.
Beef Bourguignon Stew
Ingredients
- 675g stewing Beef, cut into 1" cubes
- 150g streaky bacon, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 30g butter
- 2 onions, sliced
- 150g carrots
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 2 Sprigs Thyme
- 2 tsp tomato puree
- 600ml Bourgogne red wine
- 500ml Beef Stock, warmed
- Salt & Pepper to season
Method
Drizzle some olive oil into a pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter.
Add the meat to the pan in batches and quickly brown, remove the meat from the pan and place in a casserole dish, season lightly.
Using the same pan add the remaining butter then add the bacon, onion, garlic, carrots, and thyme. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes. Season well.
Add the tomato purée, cook for a further minute. Pour in the red wine and warmed beef stock. The red wine not only tenderises the beef but also adds a lovely malty flavour to the stew.
Pour the pan contents into the casserole dish and cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer on a low heat for 90-120 minutes or until the meat is soft ; checking occasionally to ensure there is enough liquid in the casserole.
If too thick add a little extra beef stock, if too thin, let reduce down for a few minutes extra until a nice gravy like consistency is achieved.
Serve immediately on it's own or with some mashed potatoes if desired.
SERVES 4 - 6
Classic Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1.5kg stewing beef, diced
- 3 carrots, diced bite size
- 2 onions, diced
- 1 leek, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 100g mushrooms, chopped
- 4 springs rosemary
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 leaves sage
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 800ml beef stock, you might need extra.
- Salt and pepper to season
Method
Heat a sauté pan over high heat and drizzle some oil.
Sear the beef in batches for 3-4 minutes until all sides are coloured. Season well each batch. Transfer each batch in a casserole dish.
Drizzle some more olive oil into the sauté pan, add the vegetables and sauté for 4 – 5 minutes until coloured.
Season well.
Sprinkle over the flour and cook a further 2 minutes stirring to coat the vegetables.
Pour over the stock, tomato puree and herbs. Bring to simmer and srtir once or twice.
Cover with a tight fitting lid, Drop the heat to low and let the stew simmer over the stove for 2 hours or longer if needed until the meat is cooked and falling when pressed on the side.
Check the stew every 20-30 minutes ensuring the liquid did not evaporate fully and add extra stock if needed.
Remove from the heat and serve with mash potatoes.
SERVES 6-8
Irish Lamb Stew
Traditionally lamb stew would not have garlic, leek and very little coloration but for a moderntake, colour the meat at the start and the addition of garlic is a great flavour enhancer. Prep time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: 90 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 800g lamb, neck or shoulder, diced
- 5 carrots, diced
- 3 onion, diced
- 4 sprigs Parsley
- 150g pearl barley, optional
- 2 rooster potato, chopped into pieces
- 1400ml vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
Method
In a large saucepan, drizzle some oil and lightly colour the meat over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Add the onion, carrots, parsley, pearl barley, and potato. Cover with the vegetable stock.
Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley stalks.
Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to low. simmer, covered with a lid for 80-90 minutes until the lamb is cooked through and tender.
Serve the stew with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or portion into container with a label to store in the fridge for 2 days or in the freezer until required.
SERVES 8
Chicken a la King
Ingredients
- 400g chicken, diced
- 50g butter
- 40g flour
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 stalk celery, chopped - optional
- 150 g mushrooms, sliced
- 2 green peppers, diced
- 500 ml milk
- 200ml cream
- 200ml chicken stock
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Boiled rice to serve
- Salt and pepper
Method
Cook the rice according to the packet instruction, keep warm aside.
In a sauté pan, cook the chicken on a medium heat until lightly golden coloured or about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and Set aside for a moment.
In the sauté pan, back on the heat, Melt butter, and add the onion, celery, mushrooms and pepper until soft but not coloured. Season to taste.
Sprinkle with the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in the milk, stock and cream. Bring to simmer.
Keep stirring until thick and smooth like a light bechamel sauce.
Add the chicken pieces back in the sauce and add some Worcestershire sauce and let it simmer for a further 8-10 minutes until the chicken pieces are fully cooked.
Check the seasoning and Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with rice.