I'm Back!... Carbonade A La Flamande, A Ma Façon

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If it is accompanied by French fries it's Belgian.  If it says Flamande it is Flemish and involves beer ; and if it says a ma façon, it means I can do to it anything I want.

Hi, I'm back! 

Yes, that is truly me with a new neck.  It's all bolted up but only I know that.  I was hopeful of getting a new swan neck like Babe Paley and Marella but when I asked my doctor,  he said he could only get me one millimeter.  Nothing is for free, ever.

Now, it's been there, done that.  While I was convalescing, I connected with friends on Facebook.  It is worse than sugar or nicotine.  It's so addictive I was afraid of  overexposure.  I'm still weaning off. 

So today I did some serious cooking.  As in it has a name.  It was for Madame Mere to remind her of her days in Belgium.  I think it worked.  I added the sweet potatoes,  The Belgians will probably set the gendarmes after me but that's what life is all about.  Vive la difference!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. beef chuck, cut into 2″ x ¹⁄₂″-thick slices
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ¹⁄₄ cup flour
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 cup Pomi chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups Belgian-style ale, like Ommegang Abbey Ale or dark beer
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• Thyme, tarragon, 
• 1 bay leaf\
• 1 cup sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed. (optional)
• 1 cup frozen boiled onions
• kitchen bouquet, (2 TB.)
• French fries

Directions:

Season beef with salt and pepper in a bowl; add flour and toss to coat. Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add beef; cook, turning, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Add bacon; cook until its fat renders, about 8 minutes. Add remaining butter, garlic, and onions; cook until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chopped Pomi tomatoes,  half the beer; cook, scraping bottom of pot, until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Return beef to pot with remaining beer, stock, sugar, vinegar, thyme, parsley, tarragon, bay leaf, and salt and pepper; boil. After 30 minuted add sweet potatoes (if using). After 1 hr. add frozen boiled onion. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until beef is tender, about 1 ½ hours. Add kitchen bouquet.  cook a few minutes. Serve with french fries or bread.

When you cook your french fries, make sure the heat of the oil is very hot before you add them.  I know about the splash.  It's a tough shot but it's what works best!

Don't tell her but my neck is longer...all I can say is, it hasn't been easy.

All photos Lindaraxa

The Idle Hours...Barbecued Oven Braised Brisket

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Although I should be posting a recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers, I thought you might be feeling the same way we feel in this house by now.  Anything but!

In spite of the fact that Madame Mere's apartment IS FINISHED, I still spend my days waiting for FEDEX, UPS, or some other delivery service delivering merchandise she has ordered through the various catalogues

A corner of the great room where she sits in my daughter's big chair is now her designated office. Mail, new issues of Hola, Veranda and House and Garden, with dog eared pages of ideas for the future decor of her rooms, sit in neat stacks on a tv table.  Then there are the catalogues, including Ballards, which she insists on pronouncing "Ballarde" in spite of my corrections, to no avail.  At the bottom of the pile are her insurance statements and claims, her bills and checkbooks.  The world stops for her when her favorite telenovela, India, is rerun on Telemundo from 12 to 2 while she has lunch and her lady in waiting hems her curtains.  We should all be so lucky.

She has now roped me into watching this popular soap opera but I do so, upstairs in my study, while I check my emails, work on the blog and get dressed.   Three o'clock is the magic hour when I  get in the car and go, anywhere, to see what real people do with their lives.  Sometimes I take her with me to shop for her things; others I just wander, aimlessly.

Today we are waiting for her rug from "Ballarde" which is to be delivered between 11:30 and 3:30, another wasted day.  She has already announced we are going to get our nails done after that. but we don't.  The rug arrived, we both hated it and I spent the rest of the afternoon arranging to have it picked up and ordering a new one.

I have been using the idle hours to make something that needs to be in the oven for a long time and these days are perfect for that.  I can't stand to waste time and braising a piece of meat for three hours is my idea of justifying the time. This oven braised beef brisket was posted on My Kitchen By The Lake blog a long time ago and I have made it a couple of times to rave reviews from the family.  I think it is time it appears on Lindaraxa.

Brisket is a large flat cut that comes from the chest of a steer, just below the chuck.  Its a tough fatty piece that when cured in a brine is called corned beef.  Because it is impossible to overcook, brisket is a favorite of home cooks, particularly for Sunday family dinners.

What is known as the first cut, thin cut or flat cut is leaner than the less expensive second cut aka the point cut.  This is what is preferred for this recipe because its more flavorful, and succulent.

You don't need to be a great cook to make this, just lots of time on your hands or a Madame Mere in your life.  Mashed potatoes and my aunt's Caramelized Baked Apples will make you look like  a real Betty Crocker.
  

Barbecued Oven Braised Brisket

Ingredients

1.4 lbs beef brisket, preferably second cut
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
2 TB vegetable oil
1 large onion halved lengthwise and thinly sliced.
1 cup beef stock
1 cut tomato sauce or tomato juice
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
parchment paper

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Pat brisket dry and rub salt and pepper all over it.

In a hot skillet add brisket and brown on each side.

Place brisket in 13 in x 9 in baking dish.

Add onion to skillet and stir frequently until browned, 7 to 8 minutes.

Add beef stock, bring to a boil and deglace pan scraping bits for 1 minute.  Stir in remaining ingredients  and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Pour sauce over brisket ,cover with sheet of parchment paper and cover tightly with foil.  Braise in the oven , turning meat once, until fork tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for 20 minutes and slice across the grain.  Spoon sauce over it before serving.

The brisket is best if made the day before and up to 4 days before.  Reheat in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Photos Lindaraxa

Weekend Entertaining...Flank Steak Salad With Arugula And Blue Cheese

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So Summer has officially begun.  Time to head to the beach or country house for the weekend and enjoy a few days with good friends.

Summer weekends are a time to take a break.  The idea is to have a good time and relax. You certainly don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen and if you live and work in the city, who wants to go out to an overcrowded restaurant for dinner?! There is a very simple and great solution.  The grill.  It is your best friend for the rest of the summer.  Use it.  If you don't have one, get one.

There is nothing like grilled meat or vegetables on the grill.  Corn is the only thing I prefer steamed, but I'm willing to be convinced.  While I haven't as yet experimented with pizza, it will be at the top of my list this summer.  

This hearty salad is the perfect meal for Friday night.  There's not much to do except marinade the meat for a few minutes and the salad comes together in no time.  I substituted skirt steak for the flank this time, but both work well.  While the original recipe says it will serve 4 people, if you are serving it for dinner, I would definitely double it, particularly if you are using skirt which shrinks considerably.  I found that my daughter and I could easily devour the one pound/ 2 cups of salad, with a few bites for the dogs.

You can slice the steak thinner and probably should if you are having guests.  I was too lazy to do it and it was just the two of us.  

You know what would be perfect for dessert? Strawberry Shortcake!

Flank Steak Salad with Arugula And Blue Cheese
Serves 2

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. sherry vinegar

1 clove garlic, pressed

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 lb. (500 g.) flank steak

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups (2 oz./60 g.) arugula

1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g.) crumbled blue cheese

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 Tbs. fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin and coriander. Place the steak on a plate. Spoon half of the dressing over both sides of the steak, reserving the remaining dressing. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Prepare a grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat. Grill the steak directly over the fire, turning once, until seared on both sides and medium-rare inside, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes. In a bowl, combine the arugula, blue cheese, shallots and parsley, and drizzle the remaining dressing over the top. Season with salt and pepper and toss together well. Slice the steak, arrange the slices on a platter, top with the arugula salad, and serve. 

Adapted from Williams Sonoma recipes
All photos Lindaraxa

Daube de Boeuf A La Provencal For A Cold Snowy Night

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I served this daube the night before I left for a visit to Madame Mere's. I made plenty so I could freeze a couple of dinners for my daughter, my excuse to ensure that she would have at least a couple of home cooked meals while I was gone.  The cooking didn't end there.  Once I got to the other end,  I began to cook and freeze like crazy so MM would have a few of her favorite meals  to enjoy when I left.  It is easy to cook for her these days.  She is so appreciative of everything I make her, particularly if it is one of her old recipes.  She doesn't cook anymore and her meals are very basic these days.  Nothing like the old Madame Mere and it makes me sad.  But more on that on another post.

One of the things I did not expect on my return was to find a container of beef daube still in the freezer.  I have been on a cooking strike since I returned so, instead of being hurt,  I was elated.  It is perfect for tonight after a winter storm that brought us snow and 20 degree weather.  Atlanta is paralyzed.  It seems everyone tried to get out of the city at the same time and there have been people stuck in their cars since early afternoon.  There was even a baby born in gridlock.    Not since Sherman burned the city during the Civil War has there been such pandemonium; and where is Rhett Butler and that old nag!

But back to the daube...

Daube de Boeuf Carottes on a bed of parsnip puree

A daube is basically a stew cooked at a fairly low temperature for a long period of time.  Daube a la Provencal is made with inexpensive beef braised in wine, vegetables, garlic, and herbes de Provence.  It is traditionally cooked in a daubière, or braising pan. A traditional daubière is a terracotta pot that resembles a pitcher, with a concave lid. Water is poured on the lid, which condenses the moisture inside, allowing for the long cooking required to tenderize lesser cuts of meat.

A traditional daubiere

 I inherited my daubiere from my aunt Julieta who, in turn, inherited it from her father.  He was not a gourmet cook but he loved to collect gadgets.  I am sure this was bought at Hammacher Schlemmer, one of his favorite stores.  Here, instead of filling the concave lid with water, you add a few ice cubes on top which will melt and condense inside, adding moisture to the stew through those tiny holes in the other side of the lid.  Or something like that... . 

The meat used in daube is cut from the shoulder and back of the bull, though some suggest they should be made from three cuts of meat: the "gelatinous shin for body, short ribs for flavor, and chuck for firmness." Although most modern recipes call for red wine a minority, such as the recipe below, call for white, as do the earliest recorded daube recipes.

Variations call for olives, prunes, and flavoring with duck fat.   Vinegar, brandy, lavender, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, juniper berries, or orange peel also appear in some recipes with the latter being the most popular.  For best flavor, it is cooked in several stages, and cooled for a day after each stage to allow the flavors to meld together. In the Camargue and Béarn area of France, bulls killed in bullfighting festivals are often used to make daube.

Traditionally this dish should be cooked for a long time and prepared the night before it is served.

The recipe I have used comes from La Cuisine by Francoise Bernard.  It is my Bible for traditional dishes such as this.  It calls for the white wine mentioned above but I have given you a choice of red or white.  I cooked mine with a red Cotes du Rhone which I reduced to half the volume before adding it to the marinade.  It's an old trick I leaned from Daniel Boulud that gives the illusion that the sauce has been cooking for hours.

You can cook the daube on top of the stove or in the oven.  I have given directions for both.   Frankly, daubiere or not, I prefer to cook it in the oven.  If you want to turn your pot into a daubiere, cover the top of your Le Creuset tightly with tin foil and place the lid on top.

As I am getting ready to publish this post, there are still people in gridlock due to the storm.  Some have been trapped over nine hours and many are abandoning their cars and walking.   Lots of children are being kept overnight at their schools.  What a mess.  

Ingredients

3 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces

2 TB butter

7 ounces thick sliced pancetta or bacon cut crosswise

   into 1/4 inch thick strips

4 onions quartered

1 long strip of orange zest

Salt and pepper

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

3/4 cups black olives (optional, I omitted this time)

Chopped parsley for sprinkling at the end

Marinade

3 cups dry white or red wine (previously reduced to half the amount)
3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 TB oil

1/4 Cup Cognag

Thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

Parsley sprigs

Directions

In a large bowl combine the beef with the marinade ingredients.  Cover and marinade overnight or at least a couple of hours.

In a flameproof casserole (or daubiere if you have one) melt the butter over medium heat.  Add pancetta or bacon and lightly brown.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl .

Scrape the marinade off the beef  (but save) and dry the meat with paper towels.  Add to the casserole and, in batches, brown on all sides.  Do not crowd the pan or the meat will steam instead of browning.  As they are done, transfer the pieces to a plate.

Add the onions to the pot and lightly brown.  Return the beef and the marinade to the pot, together with the orange strip.  Add salt and pepper to taste and cover.  If you do not have a daubiere (who does!) cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and cover with the lid.  Cook for 2 hours on top of the stove or on a 300 degree oven.

Add the tomatoes, bacon and olives and cook for another 30 minutes.

Transfer the stew to a warm serving platter and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve over noodles of your choice.  That is very Provencal. 

Photos # 2, #3 Wikipedia
All others Lindaraxa

Stuffed Eggplant With Beef And Gruyere

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I have been thinking about what to do with Sandra's gift for a few days and I finally came to the conclusion that the best way to enjoy these small eggplants is to stuff them.  It is a crime to slice and throw them on the grill or to chop them up for caponata or ratatouille.  So off I went looking for a recipe that was a bit out of the ordinary and after finding  none that excited me, I decided to venture out on my own.

The trick here is to precook the eggplant in the skillet until it is almost done but still firm enough to hold the stuffing while it cooks in the oven for an additional  40 minutes.  You want to make sure the eggplant is cooked all the way through, including the skin, by the time you take them out.

This is not your typical tomato based meat stuffing.  I wanted something "mellow" but with a kick which I got by adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to bring the flavor up a notch. Somehow tomato sauce and Gruyere don't pair well in my mind;  but if you want more of a tomato flavor,  just add another tablespoon of the paste.
    
With a dish like this all you need is a glass of wine and a fresh baguette. 

BTW there is nothing prettier than an uncooked eggplant and nothing uglier or harder to photograph than a stuffed one!  I tried a few angles and different lighting  but after a few tries,  I just gave up. Trust me, they were good.  We had some tonight and the rest are in the fridge until tomorrow when they will go into the freezer for a later time.

 Ingredients

6 small eggplants (2 lbs total)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 TB for sauteeing the eggplant

4 mashed garlic cloves
1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup green or red pepper, finely chopped
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 TB tomato paste
2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 Tb. heavy cream

1 cup grated Gruyere

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and brush them with olive oil.   In a skillet, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 mashed cloves of garlic.  Cook the garlic for about 5 minutes.  Prick eggplants with a fork and lay them flesh side down in the skillet covered, turning once,  until almost done but still firm enough to hold the stuffing, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, slice open and, using a large spoon scoop out the flesh to make a shell about 1/2  inch thick. Finely chop the flesh and set aside.

Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat. Toss in the onion, the peppers and the other 2 cloves of garlic, and cook until everything begins to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Crumble in the ground beef and cook until browned slightly, about 5 minutes.   Pour the wine over the meat and cook on high until the wine is almost all absorbed.  Add the 2 TB. tomato paste and mix well into the beef.  Add the  chopped eggplant, and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to bring the flavors "up".  Cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Uncover and add the cream and the Gruyere cheese and finally the bread crumbs.

Scrape into a bowl to cool.  Add parsley and mix well.

Put the eggplant halves in a large baking dish, and drizzle with the remaining 4 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon salt, and toss well to coat all of the eggplant with the oil. Fill the eggplant halves with the filling, and arrange snugly in the baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmigiano. Cover the dish with foil, and bake until the eggplant is tender all the way through, about 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake until the top of the filling is browned and crispy, about 10 minutes more.

Spring Beef Stew In A Red Wine Sauce

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Making a stew at the height of Spring season is unusual for me but there is a story behind it.

Last week I asked my daughter to bring some things from the store,  including a sirloin steak for shish kebabs.  If the meat was on sale, she was to buy extra.  I could always make a stew for one of the nights she came home late from work.  As a caveat, let me tell you that if you think husbands are bad about going to the store, she is worse.  You can give her a list of five things to bring, all written out ,and she will forget three.  I've come to think that perhaps she tends to "forget" things she doesn't care for and have watched out for this.  But no, no matter what I ask for, she apparently zones out or claims to "forget" the list.

In any event, this time she nailed it  and I was ecstatic when she came home with everything I had asked for since it was a fairly long list.  A couple of days later I decided to rearrange the freezer and sure enough there was the sirloin steak for shish kebabs.  I was surprised as I moved to the refrigerator to find a small tray of meat still in a grocery bag.  When I opened it,  it was beef stew meat with a "Sale By" date two days later.  Oh dear, I thought, she must have misunderstood and bought that awful stew meat  instead of the extra sirloin I had asked for to make a stew.  Better cook it tonight so it won't go to waste.

The pieces were cut fairly small and instead of making a beef bourguignone, I decided to try a recipe I had seen by Jacques Pepin.  The method reminded me of the one Lidia Bastianich uses in her Beef Goulash for the Pope.  The stew did not include water or beef bouillon and cooked at a fairly low temperature for a relatively long period of time. That was what I needed,  for "beef stew" meat is amongst the toughest you can find on the shelves.  To boot, I had everything required in the recipe, including the pancetta and the small onions.  Jackpot!

The stew was everything I expected.  The flavor was concentrated and sublime.  The meat one of the tenderest I have ever tasted in a stew.  I accompanied it with pasta and it was perfect for an early Spring dinner.  We were both delighted.  Awhile later, as I was relaxing in front of the TV, I heard her go to the refrigerator and close the door.  "Gee Mom, I do hope you realize you just cooked the meat I had bought for the dogs.  It was really good, though!"

Well, all I can say is that if it was outstanding with meat meant for the dogs, imagine how it will turn out if you make it with a fairly decent cut.  Just goes to show, you don't have to spend a  lot of money to have a really good meal.  For less than four dollars, we had dinner for two with leftovers for another night. Not bad.

No words can express my disappointment in those two.  Sad, really sad...

Recipe after the break.

Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry

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This post should really be titled "cleaning the refrigerator",  for that is exactly what I did.  With food prices the way they are today, you can't afford to throw anything out so take a look and plan your meals around what needs to be used up, particularly after a holiday  The flip side of this coin is you will surprise yourself at the results.

A stir fry takes no time to prepare and is perfect for a midweek repast.  There are all kinds of substitutions you can make for the asparagus, like broccoli or snap peas.  Just use what you have or what's in season. If you want it hotter, just add more red pepper flakes.     


Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. skirt steak, cut into thin strips
• 3 Tb cornstarch. 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 Tbs. dry sherry
• 1 tsp. chili oil
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 lb. slender asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Steamed rice for serving

Directions:

Cook the beef and vegetables

In a bowl mix the beef strips with the cornstarch.  Add salt and pepper.  Let it rest for 10 minutes.

In another small bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, sherry, and chili oil. Set aside.

In a wok or large fry pan over high heat, warm the peanut oil. Working in batches, if needed to avoid crowding, add the beef and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly seared, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

Add the onion and asparagus to the pan and cook until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for 15 seconds.

Finish the dish

Return the meat and any juices from the plate to the pan, add the hoisin mixture and stir well. Simmer briefly until heated through.

Divide the rice among shallow bowls, top with beef and asparagus, and serve immediately.

Orkney Is Not Just For Westies...Scottish Beef Stew

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In the summer of 2009, shortly after I started Lindaraxa, I decided to explore this new thing called Twitter which, at the time, seemed to be gaining a lot of press.  In the beginning it was awkward, nobody knew exactly what they were supposed to do;  but pretty soon companies, celebrities and the press started to join in the bandwagon.  So why not try it out? Maybe it would give me an edge getting subscribers for my blog;  but I needed a pen name or something to conceal my real name. After all, what if this thing was a scam?  Enter @Lucywestie  (that's the sous chef on the right).  So I started to tweet, under her name, and soon found out there were other Westies on board... lots of them.  Instead of getting humans to follow my blog I was getting Westies!

@Lucywestie's first friend was a little Westie from Orkney named @Molliewestie.  Orkney? where the hell  in the world was that?  Now,  I pride myself on my knowledge of geography but I certainly had never heard of this place. I didn't even know where to look...the Indian Ocean?  Enter Google.   Pretty soon I knew everything there was to know about the islands, an archipelago in northern Scotland, 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of the coast of Caithness.

The name "Orkney" dates back to the 1st century BC or earlier, and the islands have been inhabited for at least 8,500 years.  They contain some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe, and the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.   Contrary to what you may think, it doesn't snow much in Orkney

Anyway, a wonderful friendship began with this adorable little dog named Mollie which lasted until about a year ago when she stopped tweeting.  I was sad and missed her, but it happens.  Interest is lost and all of a sudden, from one day to the next, you lose contact with someone or something which was a part of your life.

Her blog, MollieWestie, Diary Of A Little Dog From Orkney is still up and if you want to see photos of Mollie and Orkney pay her a visit.


                     

Just when I thought I knew everything there was to know about Orkney today, quite by accident, I learned  something else.  Orkney produces some of the best beef in the world...good enough to be sold at Marks &  Spencer in London. Mon Dieu, did @molliewestie know this? Of course she did.  But  she never told me...she was always worried about skipping her bath.  Over 28,0000 head of the prized Aberdeen Angus cattle graze in the rocky hills. That's about 6,000 more cows than all the people that inhabit these islands.  That is incredible, do the math.

Farming there is tough, whatever the season. This summer Orkney basked in enough sun to let you sit about in a T-shirt for a day or two.  From October until March it is dark by 3.30 pm and first light arrives at 8.30am.  But I knew all this from  @Mollywestie.  She used to complain about the long nights and wanting morning to come soon so she could go off and chase the ducks in the nearby pond..

I am sorry I lost contact with this adorable friend .  Not only for the laughs and chuckles but for her insight into another world, far different from mine.  It's funny, we lead our lives thinking everything revolves around us.  Only when we travel do we realize how small we are in this life and how happy one can be in another little corner of the world.  No Guccis, no Pradas and definitely no $20 million townhouses.  Just a couple and their dogs,  happy with their lot.  That's all...but that's a lot. And, that's Twitter for you.

But this is a cooking blog and I almost forgot about the recipe.  Now, I'm well aware Saturday is St. Patricks Day and Scottish Beef Stew is not Irish.  But let's face it, Irish people, you are a lot of fun, have fine lace, great castles and Whisky and your men are lustful...BUT,  your cooking is not something we rave about,  except perhaps for the Chocolate Stout Cake I posted in your honor.  I know, I was married to an Irish American and my mother in law was lovely but her cooking...let's just say we ate chez elle once.  On the other hand, there is nothing like a good Reuben Sandwich,  my idea of what to eat on St. Paddy's Day or any day of the year.

SCOTTISH BEEF STEW

This stew is intensely flavorful and deserves a full bodied wine.  Try a hearty Bordeaux. 

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
2. All-purpose flour, for dredging
3. 2 1/2 pounds well-marbled boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6. 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
7. 2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
8. 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
9. 4 ounces rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (1 cup) You can substitute parsnip
10. 2 tablespoons red currant jelly
11. 2 cups dry red wine
12. 2 cups beef stock or low-sodium broth
13. 2 thyme sprigs
14. 1 garlic clove, smashed
15. 1 bay leaf
16. Skirlie Potato Cakes, for serving

1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until shimmering. Spread the flour in a shallow bowl. Season the beef with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour; shake off any excess flour. Add half of the meat to the casserole and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes longer. With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and floured meat, browning the meat over moderate heat.
2.  Melt the butter in the casserole. Add the onions, carrots, celery and rutabaga and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Add the jelly and the wine and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the casserole. Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Add the browned meat and any accumulated juices along with the thyme, garlic and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl. Boil the sauce over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Return the meat to the casserole and season with salt and pepper. Discard the thyme sprig and bay leaf. Serve the stew with the Skirlie Potato Cakes.

The stew can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Recipe Photo Food And Wine May 2006