Cook Yourself Thin

With a stew that manages to be both hearty and healthy, Gizzi swaps potato for root veg on Cook Yourself Thin

Serves 4

Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 2 hours 30 minutes

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 400g beef shin, chopped into 4cm chunks
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 leek, the white part only, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 bay leaves
• Few fresh thyme sprigs, chopped
• Few fresh parsley sprigs, chopped
• 4 cloves
• A small piece of mace
• 400ml red wine
• 400 ml beef stock
• 2 tbsp plain flour

For the mash

• 1 small celeriac (trimmed weight 500g)
• 1 medium turnip or 2 small (trimmed weight 400g)
• 1 medium swede (trimmed weight 500g)
• 1 litre semi skimmed milk, most of which gets discarded
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp butter
• A grating of nutmeg

How to make rich beef stew with root vegetable mash

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole, then cook the meat in batches until it is nicely golden-brown all over. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and leave to the side in a bowl. Throw the onions, carrots and celery into the pan and cook on a fairly low heat for 15 minutes or until the vegetables have softened and gone slightly golden. For the last 2 minutes of cooking add in the garlic.

2. Stir in spices and cook for 30 seconds then the tomato purée and cook for another minute. Add the flour. Add the bay leaves, thyme, parsley, mace, wine and stock. Pop the meat and all of its lovely juices back into the pan. Give it a good stir, then put the lid on and place in the oven for 2 and a half hours. You want the meat to be really soft and the sauce to thicken and become rich.

3.To make the mash, chop all the veggies into small cubes and cover with the milk. Pop the herbs in then bring to a gentle boil for 20 minutes or until completely cooked through. Drain the milk and remove the herbs, then mash with a potato masher or ricer. Add the butter, and a tablespoon of the cooking milk, nutmeg and seasoning.