20101214 Beef Stew Provencale

(SOURCE: SimpleDailyRecipes.com - Totally Simple Beef Stew Provencale)

This is a satisfying dish especially when I have been feeling a little blue and craving a hearty meal. I served this with only some fresh garlic bread tonight. But I think the best way to serve this is by ladling big spoonfuls into bowls, accompanied by a glass of dry red wine and some crusty warmed bread!

INGREDIENTS
650g beef for stew (I used sukadelappen), cut into 1 inch cubes
flour, salt and pepper for coating meat
2 tbsp oil
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves, crushed
150g little carrots
1 large onion, cut into fourths
1 tbsp dried parsley

METHOD
1. Toss the beef into a bowl with a few tablespoons of flour, and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Cook the meat in batches, turning once, until browned. Remove the browned meat to a plate.
3. Add the red wine to pan and return to heat to simmer. Scraping and stirring in the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, keep simmering wine until it has reduced to half the amount of liquid.
4. Add the meat back, pour in the water and crushed garlic, toss and coat the meat with the sauce. Heat liquid to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
5. Add carrots, onions and dried parsley to pan. Cover and simmer until beef and carrots are tender, about 40 minutes.