Recipes

Beef Espagnole with pommes duchesse

Gary OHanlon’s beef Espagnole, a favourite in Ramelton

Gary O'Hanlon
Sat Nov 5 2016 - 08:00
Serves: 6
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 3 hrs 0 mins
Ingredients
  • Serves six
  • 1kg stewing beef (diced)
  • 20ml vegetable oil
  • Sea salt and ground white pepper
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 carrots, cut into rough chunks
  • 2 large white onions, cut into chunks
  • A few stalks of picked, chopped fresh thyme
  • 100g plain white flour
  • 300ml red wine
  • 400g chopped tomatoes
  • 2tbsp tomato puree
  • 1lt water
  • 3 large Maris Piper potatoes, split in half
  • Pommes Duchess:
  • 3 large potatoes peeled
  • 4 pinches salt
  • Drizzle of cream
  • 3 knobs butter
  • 1 beaten egg yolk
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 knobs of butter to grease a tray

Heat a heavy-based non-stick casserole pot. Add the oil and bring it to smoke point. Season the beef well with the salt and pepper then add it to the pot. Sear all over until golden brown, then add the celery, carrots and onions.

Continue to cook, mixing well, until the onions soften slightly. Throw in the fresh thyme, mix well and then add the flour. Turn the heat down low and let the beef cook out for 10 minutes. Pour in the wine, mix well, followed by the chopped tomatoes, puree and water. Stir everything in well and add the potatoes. Simmer for three hours with no lid on the pot.

For the duchesse potatoes, cover the potatoes with cold water, add the salt and boil until tender. Strain the potatoes and put back on the heat to steam (this dries the potatoes and makes for a better mash).

Add the cream and butter and mash until smooth. Adjust the seasoning then place the potatoes into a piping bag with a large star nozzle. Grease an oven proof tray and then pipe on 12 rosettes of mash. Using a pastry brush, tap the top of each rosette with some beaten egg yolk then place into a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees Celsius/gas 5, in order to brown the tops.

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