If there is one drink that
is associated with Ireland it's got be Guinness. There are other
Irish stouts, the cream liqueurs made famous by Baileys plus a
variety of whiskeys but Guinness would top the Family Fortunes'
poll. If you're not a fan of the black stuff then the best way to
celebrate St. Patrick's Day is to stick in some cooking. This is all
the more appropriate if once the middle of March comes and the sky
seems constantly full of snow; a hearty and warming casserole will do
the trick.
I cook this meal in my slow
cooker but if you don't have a slow cooker fear not as it is really a
very easy recipe as it all goes in the dish and then cooked; so I
have included the timings if you wish to cook it in the oven. One of
my slow cooker tips is if you think you will be out too long even if
you set it on 'low' then use a timer switch.
Since beef isn't the
cheapest food item I used half beef and half cooking bacon (usually
has some smoked bacon in for flavour). You can vary the quantities
but don't put more than 50% bacon in as this will overpower the taste
of the beef. As there is quite a bit of bacon in the recipe I don't
put any extra salt in but if you think it needs more then add
according to personal taste. The addition of caster sugar is to
counter the bitterness of the Guinness so if you use a sweeter stout
or beer you may want to leave the sugar out.
This recipes uses half a
bottle of Guinness so the question is what do you do with the rest of
it? You could raise a glass to St. Patrick and drink it with the
meal. Alternatively if you have a number of guests make double or
just make double anyway and freeze the second portion. A nice way to
round off the meal would be to finish off with a slice of Chocolate
Guinness Cake, which rather conveniently uses half a bottle of
Guinness.
Ingredients
12oz (340g) Braising or
stewing steak, diced
12oz (340g) Cooking bacon,
diced
1 Large onion, sliced or 8
whole small onions or shallots
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp (5ml) Mustard (I used
Dijon but English or French would be fine)
1 tsp (5ml) Creamed
horseradish
1 tbsp (15ml) Caster sugar
½
pint (300ml) Beef stock
½
bottle (250ml) Guinness
If
required to thicken use either 1tbsp (15ml) cornflour mixed with
1tbsp (15ml) water or add some instant gravy granules.
Serve
with Champ and vegetables of your choice
4
Large potatoes, peeled and diced
1bunch
Spring onions (scallions), chopped
¼
pint (150ml) Double cream or milk
Salt
and pepper to taste
Method
1. Pre-heat
the slow cooker to high or if using an oven 170°C/Gas
Mark 3
2. Put
all the casserole ingredients except the cornflour/gravy granules in
the slow cooker or casserole dish.
3. Leave
to cook on low for 7-9 hours, on high for 4-6 hours or in the oven
for 1¼
hours. That is it – really!
4. Turn
off the slow cooker or oven while you prepare the Champ. If you think
the casserole needs thickening do so now. Keep the slow cooker dish
covered and on the stand or the dish in the oven.
5. Place
the potatoes in a large saucepan with just enough water to cover.
Bring to the boil and then cook until the potatoes are tender –
around 20 minutes.
6. Drain
the potatoes and return to the pan.
7. Over
a low heat mash the potatoes and then mix in the spring onions and
the cream or milk. Add any seasonings required. Heat through gently
but do not boil.
8. Serve
with the casserole and vegetables.
