StarzKaitlyn Clare's Irish Stew for Samhain

      

By StarzKaitlynClare

Samhain is a time to honor our ancestors and celebrate the Celtic New Year. Here is a recipe I use to celebrate this special time of year. 2 pounds stewing beef (well trimmed and cut into one inch cubes) 1/2 cup gluten free flour (for coating the beef) Salt and pepper (to season dredging flour) 2 – 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (for pre-cooking the beef) 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 cups red onions (about 12 oz package) 2 to 3 parsnips (julienned) 16 oz. baby carrots (1 packet) 2 pounds red potatoes (quartered) 1 and 1/4 cups Guinness stout (1 bottle (11 oz)) 3 cups beef broth 1 cup water 1 teaspoon thyme 3 bay leaves 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 2 to 3 tablespoons corn starch (for thickening stew at end of cooking) 1/4 cup beef broth (to mix with corn starch to thicken stew) Prepare the vegetables by cutting the parsnips into strips the same length as the baby carrots. Cut the potatoes into quarters or eighths depending upon the size of the potato. I leave skins on red potatoes. I think they add texture and flavor. Lightly sautee the red oinions to add that bit of caramelized flavor. Dump all of the vegetables into a crock pot. I use a large 8-quart crock pot for this recipe. If your crock pot is smaller you will need to halve the ingredients. Season the flour with salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Toss in the beef and dredge in the flour, coating each individual beef chunk. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add half of the beef and brown on all sides. This takes 2 to 3 minutes per side, sealing in all the lovely juices and beef flavor. Dump the beef on top of the vegetables in the crock pot and repeat with the second half of the beef. Add one cup of the beef broth in the crock pot. Brown the garlic in the same pan as used for the beef. I use fresh minced garlic. Next, pour in 1/2 cup of the remaining broth, stirring to lift any pieces of beef or garlic from the bottom of the pan. Heat for one minute while stirring. Pour the mixture over the beef and vegetables in the crock pot. Add the thyme, bay leaves and ground cloves to the crock pot mixture. Add the Guinness to the crock pot, together with the remaining beef stock and water. You can leave out the water and substitute with an additional cup of beef broth, but I find a little bit of water, prevents the flavors being overly intense. I do believe Guinness is the only option for this stew, unless you live in Ireland and can get your hands on a bottle of Murphy’s stout instead. Any American dark ales or stouts lack the distinctive flavor of Irish stout. Rest assured, the folks at Guinness have never heard of me. I am just Irish and love the flavor of real Guinness in this stew. Put the lid on the crock pot, and simmer on the low setting for 8 to 12 hours. You will have to check and taste often. I know this is not a very accurate time measurement, but all crock pots are different. The stew is done when the vegetables are tender. Check the potatoes too. They are the last to fully soften. Try to avoid lifting the lid of the crock pot too often during cooking. When heat escapes, cooking time is extended. When the meat and vegetables are cooked through, mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch with about 1/4 cup of cold beef broth. Make sure the broth is cold, since hot liquid will make corn starch clump. Mix them well together, ensuring the liquid is smooth. Flour will leave your stew too lumpy. Heat for another 20 minutes on high and when ready to serve, remove the bay leaves and enjoy. May the abundance of the harvest season bless you. StarzKaitlynClare StarzKaitlynClare www.starzpsychics.com/starzkaitlynclare