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Chanterelle Beef Stew

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5 from 5 reviews

Beef stew made in the slow cooker with chanterelle mushrooms for extra depth of flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

FOR THE MARINADE

  • 1 onion quartered
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 bottle of dry red wine
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp juniper berries
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • A few grinds of pepper
  • 4 lbs stew beef, cut into 2 inch cube

ADDITIONAL STEW INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 1 parsnip, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 1/2 cups reserved marinade
  • 4 sage leaves
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • pinch fennel seeds
  • pinch coarse sea salt
  • 2 ozs dried chanterelle mushrooms
  • ⅓ cup chanterelle mushroom liquid

Instructions

  1. Make the marinade: Combine all the marinade ingredients, through the juniper berries, sea salt and pepper, in a large bowl. Place the beef in a large sealable plastic bag, then pour the marinade into the bag. Gently shake the beef around a bit to get it well-coated, then squeeze the air out of the bag and seal it tightly. Store the beef in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
  2. Start preparing the stew: When you’re ready to start cooking, place a strainer inside a large bowl. Pour the beef mixture into the strainer, using the bowl to capture and reserve the marinade. Remove the beef, scraping off big pieces of herbs and spices from the marinade. Set the beef aside in a bowl to cook.
  3. Cook onions: Heat the oil on medium heat in a large cast iron skillet. Add the chopped onion to the pan, cook for a few minutes until it starts to soften.
  4. Brown the beef: Stir in the beef, combining it well with the onions. Salt to taste. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown on all sides.
  5. Add beef to slow cooker: After the beef has browned, transfer the beef and onions into the crockpot.
  6. Add additional ingredients: Add the  carrots, parsnip, minced garlic, pinch of fennel seeds, sea salt and reserved marinade to the crockpot.
  7. Make an herb bundle by using some kitchen string to tie together the sage leaves, thyme and bay leaf. Add the herb bundle to the slow cooker.
  8. Cook the stew with the slow cooker on high for an hour, then cook for an additional 8 hours in the slow cooker. Prepare the chanterelle mushrooms toward the end of cooking as described in the next step.
  9. Prepare the mushrooms: When there are approximately 90 minutes left of slow cooking time, place the dried chanterelle mushrooms in a bowl and pour hot water of them. Let the mushrooms soak in the hot water for 30 minutes to reconstitute them. Place a damp paper towel inside a fine meshed sieve, with a bowl underneath the sieve to catch the liquid. Pour the mushrooms into the sieve, pushing down on them to squeeze out the liquid.
  10. Add mushrooms to stew: Rinse the chanterelle mushrooms, the coarsely chop them. Add the mushrooms to the slow cooker along with 1/3 cup of the mushroom soaking liquid. The mushrooms should cook with the beef for at least 30 minutes.
  11. Finish and serve the stew: After the slow cooking time has ended, you can either serve the stew immediately, or you can reduce the liquid for a thicker stew. To reduce, transfer the stew to a large pot, and simmer uncovered on medium low heat for 30 to 60 minutes. Serve the beef stew with mashed potatoes and a robust red wine.

Notes

  • We like the flavor of dried chanterelle mushrooms for this stew, but you could use other types. Porcini mushrooms are good in stews.
  • You can vary the herbs based on availability. For instance, rosemary sprigs could be used instead of thyme.
  • We like to serve the stew along with some mashed potatoes.
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