Beef Stew Provençal in a Bread Bowl
Contributed by: News Canada
A perfect meal after a day of winter activities.
Preparation Time: 25 min, Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours
Ingredients:
- 8 Bread buns (Ciabatta-a dense Italian bun, pumpernickel or other crusty rolls)
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) approx. olive or vegetable oil
- 2 lb (1 kg) small (less than 2 cm) stewing beef cubes
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large onion, cut lengthwise into eighths
- 1/2 lb 250 g button mushrooms
- 1 cup (250 mL) red wine
- 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced plum tomatoes
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) EACH Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp (5 mL) dried Herbes de Provençe or thyme, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt and pepper
- 2 cups (500 mL) diced green beans
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) black olives, pitted
Directions:
Heat oil in Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat until sizzling hot. Brown meat in 4 batches. Set beef aside; sprinkle with flour.
Add garlic, onion and mushrooms to pot, cooking 3-4 minutes until just softened, adding more oil if necessary. Stir in wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Add reserved beef, tomatoes, Worcestershire, vinegar, Herbes de Provençe, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer, covered, on stove-top or in 325 F (160 C) oven for 1 hour until fork tender. Add beans and olives; cook 30-40 minutes longer until beans are tender.
In the meantime, cut a round circle off the top of each round bread bun to create an opening about 7 cm in diameter. Scoop out about 1/2 of the bread from the centre cavity.
Ladle the stew into each bread bowl and enjoy.
The bread scooped out of the centre can be used to make bread crumbs. Dry the bread overnight on the counter and then crumble in the morning. Use as a topping on casseroles for a nice crispy coating. Or better yet, enjoy the extra bread dipped in the gravy from the stew.
For more recipes using grain products go to GrainsEssential.ca.
Serving Size: Makes 8 Servings
