The Seasonal Gourmet

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day is a great day to celebrate all things Irish, whether you have Irish roots or not.  Guinness stew may be a bit of a cliché but it’s easy, delicious and very economical.  This recipe requires some time to prep the ingredients (there are a lot of vegetables to be chopped) but once everything is in the pot your work is pretty much done. If you’re entertaining, it tastes even better the day after you make it.  Serve with mashed potatoes, some soda bread and of course, a pint of Guinness.

This particular recipe is a bit of a hybrid – it’s a cross between a traditional Irish stew and a French Beef Bourguinon.  Pearl onions can sometimes be found with the frozen foods or you can peel fresh ones.  When selecting turnip, be sure to use actual turnip and not rutabaga, which is more bitter tasting and much harder to peel.  The chive sour cream is optional but it adds a nice finishing touch to the stew.

Guinness Stew with Chive Sour Cream

Makes 6 to 8 servings

• 1-1/2 lbs. stewing beef, cut into 1-1/2″ cubes
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 4 rashers of bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (about 1-1/2 cups carrot pieces)
• 2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes (about 1-1/2 cups turnip)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 28 fl. oz. can whole tomatoes, including the juice
• 440 ml / 15 fl. oz. Guinness beer (just under 2 cups of Guinness)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 10 medium sized white (button) mushrooms, halved
• 2 cups whole peeled pearl onions (about 25 onions) – fresh or frozen
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large bowl, toss cubes of stewing beef with flour until all pieces are coated.  Set aside.
2. Heat a stockpot or enameled cast iron pot on medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until crisp and browned, about 8 minutes.  Remove bacon bits with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Do not drain bacon fat from the pot.
3. Add beef cubes, diced onions, celery and garlic to the bacon fat.  Sauté until the beef is browned and vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add carrot chunks, parsnips and turnip.  Stir mixture and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add thyme and rosemary and stir until combined.
5. Add worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, Guinness and beef broth to the pot.   Bring mixture to a simmer.
6. Cover pot with a tight lid and simmer gently for one hour.  After an hour, remove cover, add pearl onions and mushrooms and return bacon bits to the stew.
7. Continue to simmer uncovered for another 45 minutes.  The beef should be tender and the vegetables cooked through.  Serve with mashed potatoes and a dollop of chive sour cream.

Chive Sour Cream

• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 Tablespoons finely chopped chives
• Salt, to taste

Combine sour cream, chives and salt.  Stir until thoroughly mixed and serve with stew.

Guinness Stew with chive sour cream

Bon Appétit and Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone!