Old Fashioned Beef Stew brings warmth on a winter’s day

We’ve had our share of cold, wet days this winter. They seemed to call out for a warming one-dish meal. Old-fashioned beef stew comes to mind, that lovely concoction bubbling with chunks of beef and vegetables, adrift in a thickened broth replete with just-right spices.

This version comes from a cookbook by the late Marion Cunningham, an American food writer. Cunningham wrote eight cookbooks, including the 1979 and 1990 revisions of the “Fannie Farmer Cookbook.”

Serve it in soup bowls and accompany it with toasted, artisanal-style bread.

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Yield: 6 servings

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds of stewing beef

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil, plus a little more if needed

4 cups boiling water 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1 large brown onion, halved from top to bottom, sliced

2bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

12 small (peeled) carrots or 6 large (peeled) carrots cut into bite-sized chunks

12 small onions (pearl onions), peeled 8small red potatoes or Baby Dutch Yellow potatoes

Optional: About 1 cup frozen peas

1. On a rimmed plate or sheet of waxed paper, mix flour, salt and pepper. Roll beef in flour mixture and shake off excess flour. Heat oil on medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot that has a lid. When oil is hot, add about 5 or 6 pieces of beef and brown on all sides (do not crowd them). Place browned beef on plate and repeat until all beef is browned, adding a little more oil if needed.

2. When the last batch of beef is browned, return all beef pieces and cautiously add boiling water (stand back because it may splatter). Stir in juice, Worcestershire, sugar, onion slices, bay leaves and allspice. Reduce heat and cover; simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until beef is tender, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Add carrots, small white onions and potatoes. Simmer uncovered for 20to 25more minutes or until vegetables can be easily pierced with a fork. If using peas, add them (frozen) during the last 5minutes of cooking.

Source: “Lost Recipes,” by Marion Cunningham (Knoff, $22)

Cooking question? Contact Cathy Thomas at cathythomascooks@gmail. com

PHOTO BY CATHY THOMAS Old Fashioned Beef Stew, with carrots, potatoes and other vegetables, is a warming onedish meal. If you opt for peas, add them late in the cooking process.