Day: March 15, 2019

1.5kg lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
6 slices bacon
2 carrots, sliced
10-12 small pearl onions OR 1 small white onion, diced
300g mushrooms, sliced
500ml red wine, young and full-bodied (Pinot Noir or Gamay – Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)
500ml beef stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
125ml tomato sauce
30g (1/4 cup) flour
salt and pepper
1/2 tspthyme
1 bay leaf
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. In a large dutch oven over medium high heat pot add the olive oil and bacon pieces. Cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon.
Salt and pepper the beef and add it to the pot and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the dutch oven.
Add the carrots, pearl onions, and mushrooms and saute 2-3 minutes until tender. Remove and set aside.
Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the sides and allow to deglaze. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and whisk in the flour.
Add the beef and the vegetables and bacon back to the pot and stir. Add thyme and bay leaf. Put a lid on pot and let it simmer in the oven for 1.5-2 hours until the beef is tender.

500g potatoes, cut into thin wedges or sliced
600g chicken breasts, cut into thick strips
2 medium onions, finely diced
A small bunch of fresh rosemary
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. grainy mustard
Juice of a large lemon
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 tbsp. honey
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 200C

In an oven-safe skillet, sautée the onions in olive oil over medium-high heat on the stove until softened and starting to brown.

Take off the heat and arrange your potato slices on top in an even layer. If you are using a normal skillet, transfer the onions to an oven-safe dish first then arrange the potatoes on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cover loosely with foil and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until softened.

Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Take the pan out of the oven and arrange your raw chicken on top of the potatoes in an even layer. Pour the prepared sauce on top, making sure everything is coated. Throw a few sprigs of rosemary around the chicken, cover again with foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and roast in the oven for a further 15 minutes until nicely browned. Serve immediately.

NOTES
• If you find that the sauce is drying out during cooking, add a small amount of warm water (1/4-1/3 cup) to the pan shake to mix before returning it to the oven to prevent the bottom from burning.
• Try marinating the chicken in the sauce overnight for added flavour.