“‘Serve fresh young food and mature drink‘ is an old Irish proverb that is reflected in our cookery courses,” says Rita Meade of Berry Lodge & Cookery School on Spanish Point in Miltown Malbay, County Clare, Ireland.
I’ve already shared the recipes for Walnut Treacle Bread, Black Pudding and Apple Scones, and Summer Greens Soup with you from our day in the kitchen with Rita in June. Now comes the meat of the menu . . . Beef and Guinness Casserole topped with Colcannon Mash.
In Ireland, soup is pureed, stew is chunky, and if you put a lid on your stew and finish it off in the oven, it is now a casserole. I make many different versions of Guinness stew, but this is by far one of my favorites. Enjoy, reach out to Rita on Facebook, “like” her page, and I’m sure she will welcome comments and questions.
| Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Cook Time | 2.2 hours |
| Servings |
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- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 lbs stewing beef diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 slices smoked bacon chopped
- 2 medium onions sliced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 1 small swede turnip diced
- 1 small white turnip diced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 1/4 cups beef stock
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3/4 cup button mushrooms
- 1 3/4 cup Guinness Stout
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season the flour with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the beef, toss to coat.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large casserole on your stove and fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and then fry beef in oil and butter mix until golden brown.
- Add the bacon, vegetables, herbs, stock and stout to the beef and bring to a simmer on the stove. Cover and transfer to the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes (alternatively, keep cooking on the hob for 1 hour and 30 minutes). Add the mushrooms. Continue cooking for a further 40 minutes. Once cooked, adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Serve Beef and Guinness topped with Colcannon mash.
Beef and Guinness Casserole by Berry Lodge Cookery School
www.berrylodge.com
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 lb potatoes peeled and cut into halves
- 3 medium Spring onions, or scallions you can also use Spring cabbage shredded and stir fried
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- freshly ground nutmeg pinch
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup Irish Cashel Blue Cheese or any high quality blue cheese
Ingredients
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- Steam the potatoes over a pan of boiling water until soft and drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- While potatoes steam, put the milk, butter and Spring onions in a separate pan and cook gently for five minutes, or until the Spring onions have cooked.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a ricer. Add to the milk mixture, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then beat well. Add 1/3 cup of the blue cheese and mix well.
- Put into a pie dish, top with the remainder of the Irish Cashel blue cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes and serve with Guinness stew.
"Did you ever eat colcannon
when 'twas made with thickened cream
And the greens and scallions blended
Like the picture in a dream?
Did you ever scoop a hole on top
To hold the melting cake
Of clover-flavored butter
Which your mother used to make?"
