Doom Pub Dark Stew

The Doom Pub in Lindblum“Hey, Zidane. Good timing. I just came up with a new dish that I want you to try.”

—Bobo, FFIX

  • 1½ lbs. beef stew meat
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1 large yellow onion, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
  • 3 large carrots, scrubbed and sliced diagonally into 1” pieces (about 1½ cups)
  • 1 head of garlic (about 8-12 cloves), peeled and halved
  • 12 oz. shallots, peeled and halved
  • 10 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms
  • 1 bottle of red wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Fresh thyme sprigs
  • ¾ oz. flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 crusty French baguette (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the stew meat into bite-sized pieces, about 1” square. Dredge the 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.)

Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the stew meat in a single layer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Add onion, carrots, garlic, shallots, and mushrooms. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes, reducing heat if the onions are browning too quickly, until onions are soft and translucent. Slowly pour in 1 bottle of red wine, scraping the crusty bits from the bottom and maintaining a simmer. Bring to a boil, stir well, add bay leaves and a few sprigs of fresh thyme, and remove from heat.

If you’re using a Dutch oven, cover and transfer to the oven. If you’re using a skillet that isn’t oven-safe, transfer the stew into a roasting pan, cover tightly with foil, and place in the oven. Cook for about 1½ hours, until the meat is soft and tender and the liquid is reduced.

Remove from oven. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving (does not include baguette): 366 calories, 17.1 g. fat, 6.3 g. saturated fat, 1 g. poly. fat, 7.9 g. mono. fat, 84.3 mg. cholesterol, 356.5 mg. sodium, 812 mg. potassium, 24.9 g. carbohydrates, 2.3 g. fiber, 28.5 g. protein, vitamin A 48%, vitamin C 16%, calcium 7%, iron 22%