Carbonnade (Flemish Beer Stew)

Carbonnade (Flemish Stew)

So, I'm not a fan of beer... I thought I'd come clean from the start, however, cooking with beer is another ball game....

This stew is so rich and the flavors so addictive, I must say I ate a whole bowl by myself and then went for a second round... So that's the only warning I'm going to give you!

I bought Waterloo Beer (Belgium Dark-Strong beer), I tasted a tablespoon of beer and it was disgusting...really! So I doubted for a bit if adventuring on this dish was such a good idea after all. Results did not meet my fear...This dish was delicious. Probably be making it a few times more.

This recipe makes 2 portions.

Ingredients:

300 gr. of meat (any beef stew, cut in chunks)

1 medium onion (chopped)

2 cups of button mushrooms (halved)

1 medium potato (chopped)

1 big carrot (chopped)

1 cup of cooked green peas (optional)

2 tablespoons of flour

2 cups of beef broth

1 tablespoon of dry thyme

1 dry bay leaf

1 bottle of Belgium dark beer

4 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a dutch oven pan (or any other heavy duty pan) sauté in the butter and oil the onion, thyme and bay leaf for about 5 minutes, then add the carrots sauté for 5 minutes and then add the potatoes sauté for 5 more minutes.

2. Season the beef with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Incorporate to the pan and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Add the beer and simmer for 10 minutes before adding the broth. The cook for an hour on medium heat. When done, add the meat and turn off.

Tips:

1. Dissolving beef bouillon in boiling water is another way to get beef broth.

2. This dish can be served with french bread aside and dijon mustard.

3. Rice & pasta are also very good options if feeding a bunch.

Enjoy!