A hearty beef stew is the perfect dish to whip up on a chilly evening or any day of the week.
But it can be a let-down when this home-cooked meal turns out bland. To prevent this, the culinary experts behind the food blog My Food Book revealed there's one "secret ingredient" that will give your beef stew "more flavour."
They shared: "With this , create a great stew that's hearty and full of flavour, with a rich sauce that clings to each tender piece of beef and vegetable."
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This magic ingredient "adds a bit of tang, sweetness and savoury spices that give an extra punch of flavour". The secret is fruit chutney - it balances the flavours so that the rich and decadent sauce has you "coming back for more", but it doesn't overpower the dish.
- Two tablespoons of plain flour
- Salt and pepper
- 1.5 kg beef chuck steak, trimmed, cut into 5cm cubes
- Three tablespoons olive oil
- One large onion, sliced
- Two cloves garlic, crushed
- One tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
- Two tablespoons of tomato paste
- 125ml dry red wine
- 185ml beef stock
- A bunch of baby carrots, washed and trimmed
- Two celery stalks, sliced on a diagonal into 2cm pieces
- A 250g jar of Fruit Chutney
- One-third cup chopped parsley
The method begins by seasoning the flour with salt and pepper and coating the beef cubes in it, reports . Preheat a large frying pan on medium-high heat.
Add two tablespoons of oil and brown the beef on all sides, in batches before transferring to a slow cooker. The third step involves heating the remaining oil in the same pan, then adding onion, garlic and thyme.
Cook this mixture over medium heat for three to four minutes until the onions are tender, stirring often. Next, stir in the tomato paste and add red wine, bringing it to a boil.
Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl of the slow cooker, then add stock, carrots, celery and chutney. Cover and cook on high for four to six hours or on low for seven to eight hours. Finish off by topping with chopped parsley and serve with mashed potato or some crusty bread.
If you prefer to use an oven, preheat it to 160C/140C Fan/Gas Mark 3 and follow the recipe up to the end of the third step, using a large stovetop and ovenproof casserole. Add the beef back to the pot, cover and cook for three hours or until the beef is tender.
This stew is perfect for batch cooking - simply place portions into sealed containers, label them and freeze for up to two months. To reheat, defrost in the fridge overnight and then warm in a low oven, on the stove or in the microwave.
