Basic beef stew

Lots to catch up on. I've been in Washington for a few days, enjoying the autumn sunshine, the astonishing colours, and some protein-heavy restaurant food. Still, some cooking has still gone on back in New York, mostly trying to make the most of tired vegetables hanging around.

Jamie Oliver has a recipe for a beef stew that does not require the beef to be browned in advance. Since browning is a real pain, especially if you're in a hurry, avoiding the process is a particular boon. So I tried out his idea, and it works. Definitely a good, hearty meal.

olive oil
butter
1 onion
herbs
750g beef for stewing, chopped into big chunks
salt and pepper
flour
pile of root vegetables - a kilo or so in total
2 tbs tomato puree
375ml red wine
300ml stock

Chop up all the vegetables coarsely. Soften the onion in the oil and butter for a little while with some herbs. In a bowl, toss the meat in seasoned flour. I put in a good handful of flour, which turned out to be too much. So I had to shake off a lot of the flour in the end. Perhaps a tablespoon or two would be enough.

Then put everything into the pot with the onion, bring to the boil, and transfer to a 150C oven, lid on. I left it in for a good four hours.

Lovely, substantial, unsubtle stuff.