Rich Beef Casserole

Melt-in-the-mouth braising steak with mushrooms and red wine.

Hands-on time 25min. Cooking time about 2½hr. Serves 6

• 1.2kg braising steak, cut into 4cm cubes • 2tbsp vegetable oil • 8 shallots, halved • 250g portobello mushrooms, thickly sliced • 1tbsp plain flour • 150ml red wine • 800ml beef stock • Handful dried wild mushrooms • 3 thyme sprigs • 1 bay leaf • 25g cornflour • Handful chopped fresh parsley

1 Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan) mark 3. Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper and then season. Heat 1½tbsp of the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish and brown beef in batches. Set aside.

2 Heat the remaining oil and fry the shallots for 2-3min until golden, then add the portobello mushrooms and fry for 2-3min until softened.

3 Return beef to the dish with any juices and stir in the flour. Add the wine, stock, dried mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook in the oven for 2hr or until beef is tender.

4 Strain the stew; reserve beef mixture and return liquid to the dish. In a small bowl, mix together cornflour and 3tbsp water. Add to the dish and heat on the hob. Boil the sauce for 4-5min, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens. Add the strained beef mixture and heat through (don’t boil, or the meat will toughen). Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf, and discard. Check seasoning and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING 475cals, 56g protein, 22g fat (8g saturates), 11g carbs (2g total sugars), 1g fibre

FREEZE AHEAD Prepare to end of step 3 up to 3 months ahead. Cool, then freeze in an airtight container. To serve, defrost completely in fridge, then complete recipe.