Name: Braised beef with anchovy toasts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves finely chopped; 3 bay leaves; 750ml bottle red wine; 500ml beef stock; 2 tsp caster sugar; 2 tbsp plain flour; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 1 ½kg piece lean beef skirt , cut into large chunks; 6 anchovies in oil, chopped; 400g shallots peeled; 500g Chantenay carrots stalk ends trimmed; 140g Kalamata olives; 6 anchovies in oil; 100g unsalted butter; 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley plus extra to serve; 1 French stick sliced, to serve

3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
finely chopped
4 garlic cloves
finely chopped
3 bay leaves
750ml bottle red wine
500ml beef stock
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 ½kg piece lean beef
skirt , cut into large chunks
6 anchovies
in oil, chopped
400g shallots
peeled
500g Chantenay carrots
stalk ends trimmed
140g Kalamata olives

For the anchovy toasts

6 anchovies
in oil
100g unsalted butter
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
plus extra to serve
1 French stick
sliced, to serve

Method

step 1
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole dish and fry the onion for 5 mins. Stir in the garlic and bay leaves and fry for 5 mins more.
step 2
Pour in the wine, stock and sugar. Mix the flour with the tomato purée and 3 tbsp water. Tip into the wine mixture and stir continuously until thickened. Then add the meat and anchovies, cover and leave to simmer for 1 hr.
step 3
Stir in the shallots, carrots and olives. Cover and simmer for 1 hr more until everything is tender. Meanwhile, for the anchovy toasts, grind the anchovy fillets using a pestle and mortar until smooth (or very finely chop), then beat into the butter with the parsley and lots of black pepper. If freezing, spoon the stew into a container or freezer bag. Repeat with the anchovy butter. To defrost, put both in the fridge to thaw overnight, then reheat the stew in a pan.
step 4
To serve, grill the slices of French bread until lightly toasted, then spread with the anchovy butter. Serve on top of the beef stew and scatter with parsley.