These January days are growing colder. It’s the perfect time for a dinner of Beef Stew with Red Wine to warm the heart and soul. And as Christmastide draws to a close, perhaps you’ve decided it’s time to move away from rich holiday foods. You probably want to get back to a healthier way of eating. Today, Chef Blondie will show you a recipe by Jacques Pépin that’s just what you need to get started. It’s both warming and healthy.
Hello, my Friends! Chef Blondie here.
All of us at the soon-to-be-world-famous Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen greatly enjoyed our Christmas and New Year’s feasts. But now it’s time to start eating healthy again. That’s why I’ve chosen a recipe from Jacques Pépin’s Simple and Healthy Cooking.
While this recipe isn’t all that simple, it certainly is healthy. And it sure is tasty. It’s more than worth the extra effort. As usual, Jacques not only gives us a great recipe. He also shows us ways to make it healthier. He does this by reducing the amount of fat and salt. And, at the same time, he compensates by increasing flavor and aroma. So, let’s gather our mise en place and see how he does it.
Ingredients for Beef Stew with Red Wine
Jacques says that it’s best to use meat from the shoulder blade or shank. That’s because it’s moist even when most of the fat has been removed. – Remember, Jacques’s objective was to make this dish healthier. – We used stew meat from a well-trimmed chuck roast, cut into 1½” to 2″ cubes.
How do you make Beef Stew healthier?
I gave my Hubby a research assignment. I asked him to determine just exactly what did Jacques do to make his Beef with Red Wine recipe healthier than his well-known Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce. After he muttered under his breath, scratched his balding head, and shrugged his shoulders a couple of times, my reluctant Hubby got to work. – Here’s what he found.
Jacques thoughtfully eliminated ingredients that were high in fat and carbohydrates. He reduced the quantity of other ingredients. For example, he cut extra virgin olive oil in half. The recipe only used 1.5 cups of wine, instead of a whole bottle. Wherever possible he reduced sodium levels. Then, to make up for the deletions, he added more aromatic herbs and vegetables.
The result of his recipe modifications was a beef stew with spectacular flavor and aroma.
Bouquet Garni for Beef Stew with Red Wine
Jacques doesn’t say so directly, but he uses a simple technique to enhance the aroma and flavor of this beef stew. How does he do it? – The beef is stewed gently in chicken stock and red wine flavored with a bouquet garni. A bouquet garni (garnished bouquet) is a bundle of aromatic herbs that is used to add flavor to soups, stews, sauces, and other dishes.
To make our bouquet garni, we followed Jacques instructions, using a string to tie together a bundle of herbs consisting of:
- 4 or 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- a small bunch of fresh parsley
- a half a stalk of celery
- a few sprigs of rosemary and oregano.
How to cook Beef Stew with Red Wine Jacques’s Way
Now that we’ve learned some of Jacques’s techniques for healthier cooking, here is his recipe as adapted and tested by the SFH Test Kitchen.
The original recipe appears on page 201 of the cookbook Jacques Pépin’s Simple and Healthy Cooking. His introduction to the book says it all.
“… to all cooks Who believe, as i do, that good cooking and good health are inseparable …”
Happy Cooking!!
Jacques Pepin's Beef Stew with Red WineNew recipe
Notes
Jacques's recipe produced 6 servings. We reduced the amount of beef by 1 pound. That brought the number of servings produced down to four.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2½ pounds beef stew meat from the shoulder blade or shank; cut into 1½"-2" cubes we use 1½ lbs. of beef
- 1 cup white chicken stock or lower-salt canned chicken broth
- 1½ cups dry fruity red wine; we used Mirassou Pinot Noir 2021
- 1 medium onion; about 7 ounces, peeled and chopped (1 cup)
- 5-6 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and finely chopped (1 tablespoon)
- ¾ teaspoon salt; adjust if canned broth is used
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bouquet garni
- 18 medium domestic mushrooms; 12 ounces, washed
- 3-4 medium carrots; 10-12 ounces, trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1" pieces (2 cups)
- About 24 tiny pearl onions; 4-5 ounces, peeled
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ cup shelled fresh peas or thawed petite frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
For the Bouquet Garni
- To make the bouquet garni, use cheese cloth to wrap a bundle consisting of: 4 or 5 sprigs fresh thyme, 3 bay leaves, a small bunch of fresh parsley, half a stalk of celery, and a few sprigs of rosemary and oregano. Use a string to tie the bundle together securely.
For the Beef
- Brush a large nonstick pan with ½ tablespoon of the oil and place it over high heat. When the oil is hot, add about half the meat and brown it on all sides for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pieces of meat with tongs and place them in a Dutch oven.
- Add ½ cup of the stock or broth to the pan, swirl the liquid in the pan to release any cooking juices.
- Pour this deglazing liquid into a small bowl.
- Repeat this procedure with the remaining oil, meat and stock or broth. Add the meat to the Dutch oven and the deglazing liquid to the bowl.
For the Flavoring Agents
- To the meat in the Dutch oven add the wine, chopped onions, garlic, salt, pepper, bouquet garni and the reserved deglazing liquid. Mix well.
- Bring the mixture to a strong boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover and boil very gently for 1¼ hours.
For the Vegetables
- Add the mushrooms, carrots and pearl onions to the Dutch oven, moving the meat in the pan with tongs to make room for the vegetables.
- Bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and boil very gently for 15 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bouquet garni.
For the Thickening Agents
- In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce and water. Stir into the stew. Add the peas. Bring the stew back to a boil.
For Serving
- To serve, divide the meat and vegetables among 4 plates. Garnish each serving with a little of the parsley.!
Discover more from Serendipity Farmhouse
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.