Ad

For the stew

  • 500g braising steak
    cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
    seasoned with pepper and a little salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1large onion
    finely chopped
  • 450g carrot
    cut into chunks
  • 2large parsnips
    cut into chunks
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp sundried or regular tomato paste
  • 300ml red wine
    or extra stock
  • 450ml vegetable stock

For the topping

Nutrition: per adult serving

  • kcal847
  • fat39g
  • saturates14g
  • carbs82g
  • sugars0g
  • fibre10g
  • protein46g
  • salt2.81g
Ad

Method

  • step 1

    Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Toss the beef in seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole. Fry the beef over a high heat until browned all over – it’s easiest to do this in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

  • step 2

    Add 2 tbsp water and the onion to the pan, stir well over a medium heat, scraping up the crusty bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat and fry gently for 10 mins, stirring occasionally until the onions have softened.

  • step 3

    Tip in the carrots, parsnips and bay leaf, then fry for 2 mins more. Return the beef to the pan, stir in the tomato paste, wine if using, and stock, then bring to the boil. Cover and cook in the oven for 1¾-2 hrs until the meat is tender. Can be made up to 2 days ahead or frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before topping and baking. Take out of the oven and increase the temperature to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.

  • step 4

    To make the topping, sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add half the cheese. Mix olive oil and milk, then stir into the flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add more milk, if necessary. Spoon the dough over the meat and vegetables, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for about 15 mins until golden, risen and cooked through.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2006

Ad

Comments, questions and tips (177)

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.203 ratings

simps241269

One of the best Winter dinner recipes. The depth of the taste of the sauce is amazing. I cooked initially on lower temperature 100 degrees for 4 hours due to something out of my control. It rested overnight and reheated the next day. The flavour was amazing.

barbra.davidsonPCecUCe4

Made the today, followed recipe exactly, but cooked in a ninja 15-1. I seared the meat and veg and slow cooked on high for 6 hours, I then put the topping on and changed to bake at 190 for 18 mins. It was amazing, the taste was so good and rich. Highly recommend trying it

thegodfrith39s4EtKC

Very nice, easy to make; I didn’t have the full amount of wine, so in addition to the vegetable stock I also added 250ml of rich beef wine stock. I also added a couple of leeks. Will be making this again.

Sacha_Fox

I added some chopped sundried tomatoes to the stew and some thyme to the cheesey muffin top. It was very nice and went down well with the whole family.

Frances Baker avatar

Frances Baker

question

Can you make this without baking powder?

sabregs58005380

Yes

Ad
Ad
Ad