CWS Swedish Fisherman’s Beef Stew with Anchovies
Four Star Rating !! !! !! !!
This is my take on CWS’s Fisherman’s Stew recipe as posted above. I cooked it in a cast iron dutch oven simmered on the back of the stove. I thought I saw wine listed in the ingredients. Guess not. Mine includes since I bought some vino. Here’s how I did it.
Ingredients :
1 ½ pounds beef stew meat ( sirloin, round steak, tenderloin tips ) cut in one inch size pieces
1 good size onion, large dice
2 cloves garlic, smashed ( use 4 next time)
1 cup red wine ( I used a california pinot noir)
4 cups organic beef broth, low sodium
1 cup water
4 whole anchovies rinsed and cut into smaller pieces, reserve remainder ( I had 2 leftover, perfect for a Caesar salad later this week. Unless the cats learn how to open the frigerator. Boy, did they like licking the can. ) (( how does one “rinse” an anchovy? They still oily little minnows and ultimately made my fingers smell good. well I drowned ‘em anyway)) Do not omit.
1 T caper berries, rinsed ( do not omit)
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs –( I used 7 sprigs total)
3 dried bay leaves
1 tsp dry marjoram
1 T Worcestershire sauce ( approx)
Plenty of cracked black pepper
Seasoned flour
Olive oil or cooking oil
Vegetables: 3 modest size red skinned potatoes, peeled, cut in one inch dice ( new potatoes would be good this time of year)
6 small- medium size young carrots, scrubbed or peeled, one inch circles ( wish I had more carrots)
1 cup fresh baby green beans, tipped and topped, cut in halves
1 cup frozen peas, preferably baby peas, any green peas are fine. ( I can’t not leave out peas in a stew)
¼ cup Brandy ( used closer to a third cup maybe)
½ cup heavy cream ( use remainder of carton to make Whip cream – yay)
Parsley and lemon zest to garnish ( the lemon gives this is a good finish)
Instrux:
Cut beef uniformly into approx 1 inch cubes. Shake by the handful in a bag of seasoned flour.
Heat a heavy duty pot over medium heat and add approx. 2 T olive oil. Add and brown meat cubes in batches. Remove with slotted spoon to a stand-by plate. Add onion and garlic to last batch. Remove meat when browned.
Add wine. Bring wine to a boil, Deglaze pan and scrape any brown bits.
Reintroduce the meat to pot.
Add beef stock, worster, herbs, anchovies, capers s and water if it looks like more liquid is needed. I added H20 and by golly, by the end, it was perfect. Bring it all to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered on a low burner. Check and stir at approx 30, 60 and 90 minutes. Total meat –stewing cook time on a very low burner for me turned out was 2 hours BEFORE Adding the veggies.
Prepare vegetables. Give them last rites for a crucial simmer and initiate their toes in the pot. When it’s time, it’s time. Just dump and stir them in the pot. Wear Head phones.
Adjust heat on the burner from simmer to medium . Adding veggies reduces the heat tremendously . Add the potatoes. Cook 20 minutes. Add the carrots. Cook 10 minutes. Add the beans and baby peas. Cook 5 -10 minutes. Cook peas only long enough to heat, Keep ‘em plump and don’t let them wrinkle up . Theoretically.
This took way longer than I thought even though the spuds and carrots were cut in small pieces. Xcept carrots were at one point nice /al dente. They got a bit softer than I prefer by the time I plated. Gotta work on this.
I like the sauce a little thick, sooooo… remove the stew with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Now would be the time to fish out thyme sprigs and bay leaves as you find them. Make a flour slurry in a jar ( shake shake shake) and add about 1/3 cup to the stock. In this instance, I didn’t want the gravy too thick.
Add slurry slowly while stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, stirring for 5 minutes. Return meat and veggies to sauce. When at a slow boil again, add the brandy. Stir and cook about a minute. Add the cream. Stir in just until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serve in bowls . Garnish with snipped parsley and lemon zest curls. Serve crusty bread and chilled garden tomato slices alongside.
Notes: At 30 minutes, there was no discernible thyme flavor, so I threw in 2 more sprigs. It wasn’t “fishy” tasting yet the anchovy flavor is pronounced, and the broth is salty. (I didn’t add any other salt). I think I could drink the broth by the glassful !
At 60 minutes—the meat is not tender enough for my liking. Cranked up the burner one notch and set the timer for another 30 minutes. I’m getting hungry.
Twiddling my thumbs. Listening to Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse You tubes. Various newly released August 2012 concert footage playing a bunch of old and a few new songs, good sound quality recorded in Albuquerque NM, Red Rocks Co, Nevada and San Francisco. The band plays tight next to each other each venue, not spread out across a stage . They are into their own music and muse as if there is no audience. Visuals are like a Personal Concert. You do the YT/search/ NY 2012. And be glad.
At Approx 90 minutes— “ time just slips away, just slips away….” the meat is not yet fork tender. It is cooking at a slow burble. Give it another 30 minutes. Added the potatoes. Maybe they will absorb some of the flavor. Tastes terrific.
120 Minutes. Ah. This is what a stew should taste like. Carrots going in. Beans is jumping off their plate. Could have let them grow in the garden another hour if I knew. Forgot to take the peas out to thaw.
Between 150- 180 minutes/ READY. What with all the fixin’s and finishes and fusses.
Well, I may have been born at night, but I wasn’t born Last Night. This is the best stew I ever ate.
And…. A few hours later I am still full and am posting this. You will like this too.
Thank you CWS.
