Beef Stew With Cinnamon, Red Wine And Bay - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb stewing beef, in 1in pieces
1 1/4 cups red wine
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cinnamon sticks
6 bay leaves
2 1/2 ounces bacon, chopped
1 ounce salted butter
6 small shallots, peeled but left whole
12 baby carrots, cut into batons
8 prunes (optional)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups beef broth

Preparation

Put the meat, wine, garlic, cinnamon and bay in a large bowl, cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300\u00b0F Drain the meat, reserving the marinade, cinnamon and bay. Dry the meat on paper towels.
Fry the bacon in a casserole over a medium heat until it starts to brown. Add half the butter, the shallots, carrots, prunes (if using) and reserved bay and cinnamon. Saute until the carrots and shallots start to brown.
In a separate pan, melt the remaining butter, brown the meat (in batches, if necessary) and add to the casserole. Add the flour, stir well then add the reserved marinade.
Bring to the boil. Add the broth. Return to the boil, cover and put in the oven for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the meat is tender and the sauce thickened. Remove from the oven and stand, covered, for 20 minutes, then serve with buttery mashed potato.
Alternatively, cool, refrigerate for up to 2 days and reheat.