Rienna Wine Stew

Archades“Take a Dalmascan Barose wine, eh? It may lack the flavor and depth of some of your Archadian wines… but it has a certain strength of character.”

—Migelo, FFXII

A practical ardent would never waste good wine. If you have an open bottle you need to use up, try this recipe. The extra liquid stretches the ingredients—a frugality which any resident of Rienna would appreciate.

If you have leftover carrots and celery, you can save them to make Nanna Stew later. It’s a thicker, more traditional stew.

  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion or 2 small onions, peeled and diced (about 1.5 cups)
  • 3 large carrots, scrubbed and sliced diagonally into 1″ pieces (about 1.5 cups)
  • 1.5 lbs. beef stew meat, uncooked, cut into 1″ pieces
  • ¼ cup flour
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1 head of garlic (about 8-12 cloves), peeled and halved
  • 4-6 small potatoes (about 1.5 lbs.), scrubbed and cubed into 1″ pieces
  • 6  celery stalks, washed and diced (about 1.5 cups)
  • 1 tbsp. herbes de Provence
  • About a ½ bottle of red wine (1.5 cups)
  • 1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf

Heat butter and oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook for 10 minutes, covered. Stir frequently and reduce heat if the onions are browning too quickly.  Add carrots and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, dredge the pieces of meat in flour. (The easiest way is to put the meat and flour in a plastic bag and shake until all pieces are fully coated.) Add the meat to the soup pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Add garlic and stir well to combine. Add potatoes, celery, and herbes de Provence.  Stir and continue to cook, about 5 minutes.  Pour in wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot, until combined.  Cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, add bay leaf, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

Uncover and cook for 15 or so minutes until stew is slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Makes about 7 heaping 1-cup servings.  Per serving: 328 calories, 9.2 g. fat, 3.3 g. saturated fat, 0.6 g. poly. fat, 3.3 g. mono. fat, 64.5 mg. cholesterol, 176.9 mg. sodium, 245 mg. potassium, 17.7 g. carbohydrates, 2.5 g. fiber, 23.1 g. protein, vitamin A 39%, vitamin C 21%, calcium 4%, iron 14%