Beef, Stout and Chestnut Casserole with Leek Colcannon

Ingredients

Contains: milk, wheat, tree nuts (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 2 heaped tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1kg/2lb 3oz stewing steak
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 large onions
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 8 carrots
• 2 sticks celery
• 500ml/17½fl oz beef stock
• 250ml/9fl oz Irish stout
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 20 chestnuts
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1kg/2lb 3oz floury potatoes, such as King Edward
• 250ml/9fl oz milk
• 500g/17½oz leeks
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp double cream
• sea salt flakes and white pepper

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Cut a small cross in each chestnut, roast them for 20 to 25 minutes until the shells split, then peel them while still warm and set aside.

2. Mix the flour, 1 tsp sea salt and the black pepper on a plate and toss the stewing steak in it. Heat the vegetable oil in a casserole dish over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches for about 8 minutes, then set aside.

3. Chop 2 of the onions, slice the carrots and chop the celery. Cook them in the same dish for about 8 minutes until softened, then stir in the tomato purée and caraway seeds for 1 minute.

4. Return the beef to the dish with the stout, beef stock, raisins and peeled chestnuts. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven for about 2 hours until the beef is tender and reaches at least 145°F (63°C) in the thickest pieces.

5. Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and boil them in a pan of boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Drain well.

6. Slice the leeks and the remaining onion finely. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a pan over low heat and cook them gently for about 10 minutes until very soft.

7. Warm the milk. Mash the potatoes with the warm milk, the remaining butter and the double cream, then stir in the leeks and season with sea salt flakes and white pepper.

8. Stir the chopped parsley into the stew, taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt flakes and white pepper. Serve the casserole with the leek colcannon.