Connie Gets Her Groove Back...?

So, finally inspiration rears its beautiful head in the spice isle.  Oh how I have missed you, Inspiration to Cook. It was not a spice that stimulated cooking creativity, no, I spotted Kitchen Bouquet.  If you've never used it before allow me to introduce you.  It's essentially liquid caramel.  Not sweet though.  It's like the bottom of the pan after you've fried a steak or perfectly caramelized onions.  Oh yes, it is liquid flavour.  And the reason I discovered it was because I went hunting online for a stew recipe.

Where is the logical place to find an amazing beef stew recipe?  The Guinness website. True story.  They actually share their pub's stew recipe.  Funny thing is, when I found it, it was a huge, restaurant size batch.  Not great for a family of three.  So the first time, I had oooodles of gravy left over.  I've since rectified that problem by scaling back and using my common sense.

Interestingly, today when I went to refresh my memory on some of the recipe's finer points, I found that the Guinness website has replaced my recipe with a new one, along-side a how-to video featuring a bloke with a thick Irish accent.  Now, I cannot say which recipe is better - I'm sure they're both delicious - but I stuck with the one that I've made before...

Furthermore, I admit that I use whichever dark beer I happen to have one hand.  This week that is Vancouver Island Brewery's Hermann's Dark Lager.  Without further ado, The Recipe....

My favourite Irish boys would be wantin' a helpin' of this.

MGuinness Beef Stew

1 lb. cubed beef
1 med. onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 leek, diced
2 good sized carrots, diced
2 tbsp. gravy browning (aka Kitchen Bouquet)
Pinch Mixed herbs (In Canada, I do believe that this is Italian Seasoning, 1 - 2 tsp.)
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp . Flour (or enough to make a nice roux)
3 Cups Beef stock
Seasoning (Salt and Pepper)
½ x Pint GUINNESS® beer (I use one bottle, 341mL)

Method
Sweat all vegetables in the butter for 5-6 mins.
Add diced beef and cook for 5-6 mins. (I know what you are thinking - "What about browning the beef first?"  Honestly, it doesn't seem to matter, though you may go ahead and do this step first)
Add herbs and then flour. Cook a little to get those herbs going and the flour cooking.
Add warm beef stock slowly over heat while stirring, scrapping up the bottom brown bits. Cook for another 5-6 mins. (In the video, the chef added beer before the stock, so I tried that today.  Only half a bottle though, I'll save the rest to finish.)
Add gravy browning
Slow cook for 1 & 1/2 hours. (I also tried putting a piece of parchment paper on the stew while it simmers - like the Irish chef from the vid.)
Finish with ½ pint of GUINNESS® beer and stir.
Season and serve with champ potato (mash potatoes with green onion) and roast carrot and parsnip. 

This serves about 3 or 4, depending on how generous you are with the stew itself.  I recommend multiplying if you have a larger family or want leftovers. 

I just went to taste test my stew, which has been simmering for the past hour, while I wrote this and Oh Yum! It's perfect for a rainy, dreary, blustery day like today.  It is hearty, meaty and full of delicious beef flavour.  I'm sure the menfolk will be particularly fond of this one.