Beef and Mushroom Stew with Sourdough Croutons, Fried Onions and Cheddar
Serves 4-6
A rich and delicious stew with a magnificent crunchy topping.
Beef and mushroom stew with sourdough, caramelised onions and cheddar topping Photo: supplied
Ingredients
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1.2 stewing beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 250g Swiss brown mushrooms, halved
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely diced
- ¾ cup red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Topping
- 3-4 thick slices of sourdough, cut into big 5cm chunks
- 3 brown onions, thinly sliced
- Large handful of grated sharp cheddar
- Olive oil for sautéing and roasting
Stew method
Preheat oven to 130 degrees Celsius.
Heat a generous glug of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the onion until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Set aside. Toss the flour through the meat until evenly coated.
Add a little more oil to the pan and brown the meat for a few minutes in batches. Set aside. Pour the wine, beef stock and tomato paste into the pan. Bring it to a simmer. Add the meat, onions and garlic back in. Stir through the mushrooms and rosemary. Place in a casserole dish with the lid and cook for 4 hours. Remove the lid and cook for a further 30-40 minutes to thicken up the liquid. Remove from the oven.
Topping method
Heat oven to 180 degrees.
Line a baking sheet. Place the sourdough on top. Drizzle with oil and bake for 12 minutes to crisp up. This will stop them from absorbing too much liquid when placed on the stew.
Heat a glug of oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the sliced onions. Sauté for around 15 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Raise the heat at the end if needed to add a little more colour.
Scatter the toasted chunks of sourdough over the top of your stew. Dollop the onions over the top of this and sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake for 15-20 until the cheese is golden and melted and the stew is bubbling hot. Enjoy!