Ginny Clyde

A little known fact about our hero, Christopher is that is an awesome cook. I suppose his culinary skills are only portrayed in the first book, Graveyard Rose, where he cooks delicious, comforting meals for Lena.

I am a cook myself and love to potter around in my kitchen. Stews are my favourite dish in winter. I like to add a lot of herbs and spices to mine, so that it warms me even more. A chunk of bread to dip in the luscious sauce is all I need as an accompaniment to a bowl of stew. Well, I suppose I won’t mind a glass of rich red wine too!

So, without further ado, here’s my recipe for the beef stew that Christopher whips up for Lena she is recovering. It is closer to a ghoulash recipe, I suppose. Mind you, his tastes better than mine because he cooks his on an open flame and it adds an additional later of smokiness to the dish that you just won’t get from your regular home oven but trust me; it is one delicious meal!

Here’s the ingredient list.

·  1kg flank steak

·  1 tbsp vegetable oil

· 300 grams potatoes

· 100 grams carrots

· 4 sticks of celery

·  2 onions (sliced)

·  8 garlic cloves (minced) (I know it’s a lot but really does work)

·  2 tsp hot smoked paprika

·  1 tbsp paprika

·  1 beef stock cube

·  400g can of plum tomatoes

·  2 tbsp tomato purée

·  2 bay leaves

·  Salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper

Here are the steps to follow.

·  Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut the meat into rough chunks. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

·  Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the pieces of meat and fry until browned all over. Add the onions into the pan and cook with the beef until it softens. Add garlic.

·  Sprinkle paprika over the meat and add the stock cube. Add water, tomatoes, tomato purée and bay leaves. Season to taste and stir well. Add the cubed potatoes, carrots and celery sticks to the pot. Allow it to come to a boil and then cover with a lid and transfer it into the oven. Cook for an hour to two hours until the pieces of beef are tender and break apart when pushed with a fork.

© Ginny Clyde, 2017