Rachel Allen's comforting hotpot is the perfect dish to warm you up.
Ingredients
Before you start...
You will need a large casserole dish or ovenproof saucepan with a lid for this recipe.
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 250 g8¾ oz button mushrooms, halved (or quartered if they are longer)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 small onions, peeled and sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finally chopped
- 1½ kg3¼ lb stewing beef, cut into 6cm chunks
- 150 ml5¼ fl oz red wine
- 3 tsp chopped thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 650 g23 oz floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm thick slices
- 25 g1 oz butter, diced
Method: How to make Beef and red wine hotpot
Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas 2.
Pour the olive oil into the casserole dish or saucepan on a medium-high heat and, when hot, add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and toss for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove the mushrooms from the dish or pan and set aside, leaving any oil behind in the pan.
Add the meat and wine and two teaspoons of the thyme leaves. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and place in the oven to cook for 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours, or until the meat is just tender.
Take the dish or pan out of the oven and turn up the heat to 230C, Gas mark 8. Stir in the fried mushrooms and red wine vinegar, and add the potato slices, arranging them over the beef in the pan (it’s fine if there’s more than one layer). Scatter over the remaining thyme and some salt and pepper, then dot with the butter. Place back in the (now hot) oven and bake for a further 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and beginning to turn golden. Bring to the table and serve.
