Beef Stew with "Ghoulish" Mashed Potatoes
Description
Make this stew in advance so that you have free time to enjoy Halloween too. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for a month. It is the perfect autumn meal, even if you don't pipe the potatoes into ghoulish ghosts.
Ingredients
Beef Stew:
2 T. butter
14 slices bacon, chopped
10½ oz. shallots, left whole
2¼ lb. beef stew meat, cubed
14 oz. mixed wild mushrooms
1 quart (4 c.) Guinness (an Irish dry stout, or beef stock
1 bouquet garni (a bundle of herbs, tied together, used for flavoring stew or soup)
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Ghoulish Mashed Potatoes:
2 lb. potatoes, scrubbed and left unpeeled
4 oz. (1/2 c.) warm milk
2 oz. (1/4 c.) butter
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 peas, cooked, for garnish
Directions
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Stew:
Place butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add bacon, then the shallots; cook until golden brown; transfer to a large baking dish. Add beef to the skillet; season with salt and pepper; cook until completely browned. Transfer to the baking dish. Add mushrooms to the skillet; cook for 2 minutes; season to taste; transfer to the baking dish.
Return the skillet to the stove over medium heat; use a whisk to scrape off all the bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet, where the flavor is. Pour in the Guinness; continue to whisk for another minute to deglaze the pan. Pour the Guinness and pan juices over the beef and vegetables in the baking dish; add the bouquet garni; cover the baking dish; cook in the oven for 2 hours. Check the seasoning; remove the bouquet garni; serve with mashed potatoes.
While the stew is still cooking, about 45 minutes before being done, make the ghoulish potatoes:
Place the potatoes in a saucepan, with the largest ones at the bottom; fill halfway with water; cover the saucepan; place over high heat. When water begins to boil, drain off about half of the water, leaving just enough for the potatoes to steam.
After about 30-40 minutes, depending on potato size, when the potatoes are cooked, peel while holding them in a tea towel; place in a warmed bowl. Mash the potatoes, gradually adding the warm milk; season with nutmeg; add butter; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place mashed potatoes in large re-sealable plastic bag; cut a 2 inch hole in one corner. Pipe ghost potatoes onto individual servings of stew; pop 2 peas at the top end of the whipped potatoes to look like eyes.
8 servings.