Grandad's East End stew recipe

This heartwarming beef stew recipe has been passed down the family and is a real hit with the kids

"This dish is a basic but delicious stew dreamed up by my amazing grandad, Steve Deacon. He passed the recipe down to my mother and then she taught me to make it. Eating it brings back memories of being at Nan’s for a family get-together and then sitting down next to Grandad to eat. In his immortal words, 'Go on girl, tuck in'... "

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
500g oxtail, cubed
2 large white onions, roughly chopped
1 large leek, sliced
1 large turnip, grated
2 large parsnips, peeled and sliced
4 large carrots, peeled and grated
2 heaped tbsp pearl barley
2 heaped tbsp red lentils
4 large Maris Piper potatoes, chopped into large chunks
2 litres beef stock

Method

Heat a deep saucepan over a medium heat with the olive oil and fry the oxtail pieces quickly for a few minutes just to seal the meat, then add the onions and leeks and fry for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add enough beef stock to just cover the meat. Simmer on a low heat for about 40 minutes.
Next, add the turnips, parsnips, carrots and a little more beef stock (just enough to cover the vegetables). Reduce the heat to low and simmer again for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the chopped potatoes, pearl barley and lentils and simmer for a further 30 minutes. Stir the stew regularly to avoid the lentils sticking to the bottom.
To serve, ladle the hot stew into bowls and serve with fresh crusty bread.