Recently we went to visit my cousins and aunt in Switzerland. My cousin Virginia cooked us a beautiful beef stew. It was lush. Virginia reminded me that my Uncle Hermann, her father used to cook this dish. Hermann found a veal stew in a recipe book. The recipe was by a French cyclist and originally it used veal.
My Uncle found beef easier to buy and cook. Over the years the recipe has changed. Virginia sent me the original recipe but I added coconut cream with lemon instead of soured cream. It was just as delicious as the meal we had at Virginia’s. Virginia had her own version of the recipe as well. We loved the dish and of course, I had to share it with you. Below is a video and recipe for you.
What recipes have you held onto from your childhood? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.
Method
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Large saucepan
- Tablespoon
- Stirring spoon
- Wine glass
- Small mixing bowl
- Spoon
- Fork
Ingredients
- Onion x 1
- Beef x 500g
- Bacon or Parma Ham x 4 slices
- Carrot x 1
- Courgette x 1
- Rosemary x 1 sprig
- Thyme x 1 sprig
- Sage x 4 – 6 leaves
- Bay leaves x 1
- Ground cloves x 1/4 tsp
- Bone broth x 200mls
- Tomato puree x 1 – 2 tbsp
- Red wine x 1 125ml glass
- Coconut cream x 2 – 3 tbsps
- Lemon x 1/2 juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil x 1 tbsp
Method
- Slice the top and the bottom from the onion.
- Peel, slice and dice the onion.
- Next peel, slice and dice into small pieces the carrots and courgettes.
- Remove the stalks from the herbs and then chop.
- Set the vegetables aside.
- Roughly slice the bacon.
- Chop the beef stewing steak into 1 inch pieces if it hasn’t been cut already.
- Now put the large saucepan onto a high heat on the hob.
- Add oil to the base of the pan and wait for it to heat up.
- Once the pan is hot add in the beef stew steak and fry until it start to brown.
- Then add in the Parma ham and fry for a further minute or so.
- Remove the meat from the saucepan onto a plate.
- Put the saucepan back onto the hop and add in the onion.
- Fry until they start to soften.
- Then add in the carrots and courgettes.
- Fry these ingredients for 5 – 10 minutes or until they start to soften.
- Add in the chopped herbs and fry for a further minute or so.
- Pour over the red wine and scrap the cooked on food from the bottom.
- The vegetables should be soft so add the meat back in and mix the ingredients together.
- Pour over the chicken stock and add in the tomato puree.
- Stir these ingredients together.
- Add in the bay leaves.
- Sprinkle over salt and pepper to taste.
- Leave on a low heat to simmer for an hour or so with the lid on loosely.
- Put the coconut cream into the small mixing bowl.
- Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the small mixing bowl.
- At the end of the cooking process add it to the pot and stir it in.
- Then serve with hash browns or mash or for a healthier option rice and green beans.
- Finally enjoy.
My Uncle Hermann’s Stew was a hit in our house. My husband Howard and son Ted enjoyed this meal as much as they did in Switzerland. All the ingredients in this meal are freezable so you could make a big batch at the weekend and freeze it for another occasion. It would make a lovely mid week meal. I had this as leftover the next day and it was just as tasty as the day before. However you decide to eat this meal, as always, please enjoy. Thank you xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 