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Scotch Beef Stew with whiskey, ale and barley
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#OFMAwards 2016 and Scotch Beef with Whisky Ale & Barley
Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 40 mins
 
A Scotch beef, whisky, ale and barley casserole perfect comfort food for colder evenings.
Course: Main Course, Meat
Cuisine: British
Keyword: #OFMAwards2016
Servings: 12
Author: Laura Scott
Ingredients
  • Light olive oil for frying
  • 1.5 kilo shin of beef cut into large chunks
  • plain flour to coat the beef
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 tbsp light olive oil
  • 3 onions finely sliced
  • 4 carrots peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 4 leeks peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 4 sprigs rosemary leaves only
  • 2 strips of orange peel
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 100 ml Scotch whiskey
  • 550 ml Scottish ale
  • 250 ml hot beef stock
  • 100 g cooked pearl barley
  • For the crunchy crumb topping:
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 50 g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • Large handful of flat leaf parsley chopped
  • olive oil to fry the crumbs in
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 140 degrees
  2. In a large roasting tin/baking dish place the beef and coat generously with a layer of plain flour and seasoning, making sure all sides of the beef have been coated
  3. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium/high heat and fry off the beef in batches allowing each side of the meat to become golden brown, adding more oil if necessary when frying the other batches of beef
  4. Transfer the browned beef to a large bowl and set aside, turn the frying pan off
  5. Pour the whisky into the frying pan and let it deglaze the pan juices before adding the ale and scraping all of the browned meat juices from the bottom of the pan
  6. In a large oven proof casserole (with a tight fitting lid) heat the 2tbsp of oil over a medium heat and brown off the onions, carrots, leeks, garlic, rosemary, orange peel, bay leaves and seasoning for about 5 minutes
  7. Tip the beef back into the casserole dish, pour over the beer and whisky mixture then add in the hot beef stock. Stir well and bring the casserole to the boil.
  8. Place the lid onto the casserole and put it in the oven to cook away for about 4 hours, checking it from time to time
  9. Take the casserole out of the oven, stir through the cooked pearl barley then place the lid back on while you make the crumb topping, also check the seasoning
  10. For the crumb topping:
  11. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium/high heat then add in the breadcrumbs and garlic and fry off the mixture until the crumbs turn crisp and golden
  12. Take the crumbs off the heat then add in the chopped parsley and stir well
  13. Use this as your garnish when you serve the casserole at the table
Recipe Notes

This recipe makes enough to feed 12 people. If you want to make a smaller batch of this recipe just scale down the recipe by half or two thirds. This recipe freezes well but it would be better to freeze it without the pearl barley, which you could add in once the casserole has ben defrosted.