Photo: Cocoa Tinged Beef Stew with Root Vegetables Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
- 3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 cup diced yellow onions
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups veal or beef stock, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 pound small (golf ball size) new potatoes, quartered
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
Set a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan and season the beef with 1 teaspoon of the salt, the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned beef, in batches if necessary, and cook until well browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned beef to a large plate or bowl and set aside.
Add the butter to the pan and, once melted, add the mushrooms and saute until lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the onions to the pan and cook until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the veal stock, tomato paste, cocoa powder, thyme, oregano, basil, allspice, and browned meat to the pan and bring stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook the stew for 45 minutes. Remove the lid, add the potatoes, carrots and celery and continue to cook the stew for another 45 minutes. Add the pearl onions, stir to combine, and cook the stew for a final 15 minutes. Stir in the peas and parsley, cook for 5 minutes longer and serve.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, Published by William Morrow, 1993.
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By kitkat924
Arkansas
on December 04, 2011
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This stew was so good and not that different than other beef stews I grew up eating and making. I try to eat clean and healthy, so the only difference is I substituted oat flour for the white and eliminated the butter and just used a canola oil to brown the beef in. I also put it altogether and put it in the oven for a few hours to finish cooking. My family ate the entire pot! It was very delicious and the cocoa really didn't have any noticeable flavor, it just enhanced it. It's going in my keeper file. YUM!
By sammijo10
Greenfield, NY
on November 16, 2011
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The flavor of this stew was terrific and completely different than a beef burgundy. While I adore that winey flavored gravy, the cocoa lent this one a real earthy, deep flavor. Completely different, but just as wonderful. Will definitely make this one again.
By KToTheWall
tustin, 43
on February 20, 2011
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This one is going in my repetoire. I followed the directions almost exactly - made two small changes. First, I only sliced half of the mushrooms and added them in the early step as the recipe called for, then when I added the pearl onions I added the rest of the mushrooms, quartered (we like mushrooms and wanted to know they were in there. The other change was that I forgot to put the parsley in at the end.
We didn't notice the cocoa at all, but the sauce was very rich and had depth of flavor - I imagine the cocoa contributed to that.
It's yummy - first class stew!
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