Beef in ale stew.

This must be the easiest thing in the world to make, totally fool proof and incredibly yummy:

1. Get a good casserole pot – one that can go both on the hob and in the oven.
2. Warm it up on the stove with a bit of oil, throw a whole load of onion in and let them cook down.
3. Add a half kilo or so of cubed beef, not too small cause it shrinks in the oven. Let it brown for a bit.
4. Add your veg/fungus of choice, if you want any – I went for mushrooms, could do carrots and peas. Give a good stir and leave to warm up for a couple minutes.
5. Pour in your ale of choice, 500ml – I went for Boddingtons cause it was the only decent ale they had in the shop round the corner that would sell me it without ID even though I’m 25. Would have preferred Guinness, hey ho.
6. Add a couple of bay leaves, chuck it in the oven at 180C or so and leave to simmer for a good 4 hours. You’ll need to add a healthy splash of water and give it a stir every couple of hours so it doesn’t dry up, could alternatively stick a bit of foil between pot and lid.
   I didn’t do this cause I was so eager to shove food in my face after 4 hours of num scents throughout the house, but a wee Danish twist to the English classic:
7. Add a healthy amount of water to the stew, say 1.5 cups?
8. Stir a tablespoon or so of (corn-) flour into 200ml cold water, mix really well so it’s not clumpy and pour a trickle at a time into the stew, stirring continuously over a low heat on the hob until it begins to thicken up.
9. Add a couple drops of kulør – unflavoured gravy browning.
10. Let it condense down to the gravy consistency you like, maybe add a pinch of salt and pepper – Mega munch with some mash and swede!

Ok that looked a hell of a lot more complicated than it actually is. Anyway, first time I ever made it tonight, piece of pie.