Beef and Stout Stew with Cranberries

Method

1. The beef

2. 1Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan.
3. 2Dust the beef with flour and shake off the excess.
4. 3Heat a large frying pan, add 2 tbsp olive oil and brown the meat in batches until nicely colored on all sides.
5. 4Keep the heat steady: too hot and it burns, too low and the meat won’t brown properly.
6. 5Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, celery and garlic.
7. 6Take the beef out of the pan and set it aside on a deep plate.
8. 7Add another 2 tbsp olive oil to the same pan and sauté the vegetables for a few minutes, until soft.
9. 8Return the beef to the pan, deglaze with the vinegar and immediately pour in the stout.
10. 9Carefully transfer the beef and the beer sauce to a clay pot or Dutch oven, then add the hot vegetable stock, the cloves, salt and freshly ground pepper.
11. 10Cover the pot with its lid and carefully put it in the oven.
12. 11Cook in the oven for 45 minutes.
13. TipIf your pot can go on the stovetop, do all of the above directly in the pot.
14. 12After 45 minutes, take the pot out of the oven, add the pearl onions and gently shake the pot.
15. 13Cover again and cook in the oven for another 30 minutes.
16. 14Finally, add the dried cranberries and cook for another 15–20 minutes with the lid on.

17. The mashed potatoes

18. 15Peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces.
19. 16Put them in a saucepan and cover with plenty of water.
20. 17Boil the potatoes for 15–20 minutes, until very soft.
21. 18Drain and mash them in the pan with a potato masher or a large fork.
22. 19Put the pan back on low heat, add the cream and stir constantly until the mash is hot.
23. 20Finally, add the butter in cubes and a little salt, and stir well. Taste and add more salt if needed.
24. 21For extra-smooth, velvety mashed potatoes, press the mash through a fine sieve with a large spoon.
25. 22Serve the beef and stout stew with the mashed potatoes.