Guinness Stew

Happy St Patricks Day everyone! Whats more Irish than Guinness, ok maybe four leaf clovers and leprechauns, which are really hard to find, and I could hardly cook them, could I?

Now I was never a lover of stews (casseroles). I think I have childhood memories of eating to much of the stuff. I'm sure all New Zealand Children grow up eating stews. Well it really is a good hearty meal, and because of the climate, well what better meal to cook on a cold winters night.

 I think when you eat something to much especially as a child you get it in your head that you really dislike it, well I certainly did.

It wasn't until a few months back that I was working late one night when my Dad was in town, and he cooked a stew for dinner. He put all sorts of things into it including parsnips which is vegetable that I have never really been fond of. The meal was a simple hearty stew that was really good.

So when I saw a recipe in 'Good Taste' magazine for a Guinness Stew, I thought hey why not. Being me I can never follow a recipe to the exact detail so this is my version of their stew.....

Guinness Stew

1.5kg of stewing beef chopped

olive oil

1 chopped red onion

5 chopped french shallots

1 teaspoon of crushed garlic

5 slices of bacon

1.5 cups of mushrooms sliced in half

2 cups of beef stock

400mls of Guinness stout

4 sprigs of thyme

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 tablespoons of cornflour

1/4 cup of water

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees

Heat the oil in an french oven on the stove top. When the oil is hot, brown the meat. Add the onion, shallots, Garlic, bacon and mushrooms and cook until browned. Then pour in the stock and guinness. Add the thyme, rosemary, tomato paste and stir to incorporate. 

Cover with the lid and place in the pre heated oven. Cook for 3 hours or until the meat is tender.

Combine the cornflour and water to make a paste and then stir into the stew to thicken. 

Serve with some mashed potato.