Bazella (Middle Eastern-Style Beef Casserole) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lb lean braising steak, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups red wine
5 ounces tomato paste
1 1/4 cups water
1 fresh bay leaf
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 ounce shelled fava beans, fresh
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
salt & freshly ground black pepper
crusty bread, to serve

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F
Heat the oil in heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and gently fry until golden.
Add the braising steak and cinnamon, and fry for a further 3-5 minutes, stirring, until the meat is lightly browned. Transfer the contents of the frying pan to a casserole.
Deglaze the frying pan with half the wine, and pour this mixture into the casserole.
Add the tomato paste, water and remaining wine to the casserole. Stir in the bay leaf and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and season to taste.
Place the casserole in the oven and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Stir in the beans and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Stir in the parsley just before serving.
Ladle into serving dishes and garnish each dish with a parsley sprig.
Serve with good crusty bread.