British Beef in Guinness & Stoved Chicken

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's another good one from Anna Welander:

There was a survey held recently. It revealed that the normal American
walks 900 miles per year. In another survey, it was revealed that
average Americans consume 20 gallons of beer per year. As a result of
the two surveys, medical science has reached the following conclusion:
The average American gets 45 miles per gallon.

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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There are few dishes as satisfying as a rich, dark beef stew, and
I think you'll find this one among the best.

Beef in Guinness

3 Tbs (45 ml) vegetable oil
2 lbs (900 g) beef stew meat cut into 1-inch (3 cm) pieces
All-purpose flour for dredging
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 cups (500 ml) Guinness stout or other dark beer
1 Tbs (15 ml) tomato paste
2 tsp (10 ml) sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) English mustard powder
A 1x3-inch (3x8 cm) piece of orange peel
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot (Dutch oven) over high heat. Coat
the beef lightly with flour and fry in batches until well browned on
all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate and fry the onions in the
same pot until browned, about 15 minutes. Add the celery and
carrots during the last 5 minutes. Return the beef and any
accumulated juices to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients,
adding enough water to cover the meat if necessary, and bring to
a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the beef is very
tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Serves 4 to 6.

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It is believed that the term "stoved" is derived from the French
"etouffer" - to cook in a covered pot. This dish has been enjoyed
in Great Britain for several hundred years.

Stoved Chicken

2 lbs (900 g) potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp (5 ml) dried
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbs (30 ml) butter
1 Tbs (15 ml) vegetable oil
2 thick slices bacon, chopped
2-3 lbs (900-1350 g) chicken pieces
1 bay (laurel) leaf
2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock

Place half the potato slices in a layer in the bottom of a large heavy
baking dish. Top it with half the onion and half the thyme, salt, and
pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy skillet over moderate
heat and brown the bacon and chicken in batches, transferring them to
the baking dish as they are browned. Add the bay leaf, chicken stock,
remaining thyme, salt, and pepper. Top with the remaining onions and
finish with a neat layer of potato slices. Bake tightly covered in a
preheated 300F (150C) oven until the chicken is tender, about 2 hours.
Remove the cover and cook under a preheated broiler (grill) until the
potatoes are lightly browned. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Thu Jun 21 08:25:03 2007