Joe's Winter Warming Irish Cheddar Topped Beef and Vegetable Stew

Mon, 4 November 2019

Chef Joe Shannon is joining us to make a classic winter dish in the form of Irish Cheddar topped beef and vegetable stew!

Ingredients

500g Diced Lean Stewing Beef,
2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with pepper and a little salt
2 tbsp Irish Rapeseed Oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
450g carrot, cut into chunks
2 large parsnips cut into chunks
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp tomato paste
300ml red wine
450ml Beef stock
For the topping
225g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
140g Irish cheddar, grated
2 tbsp Irish Rapeseed Oil
150ml milk

Method

Heat your oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
Toss the beef in seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large pan.
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 place into a casserole dish.
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.
Tip in the carrots, parsnips and bay leaf, then fry for 2 mins more.
Transfer to the casserole dish which you have the beef in, stir in the tomato paste, wine and stock, then bring to the boil.
Cover and cook in the oven for 1¾-2 hrs until the meat is tender.
Take out of the oven and increase the temperature to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
To make the topping, sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add half the cheese.
Mix rapeseed 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.