Carbonnade a La Flamande
by Nigella. Featured in KITCHENIntroduction
There is something about cooking the classics that feels like coming home and this comforting Belgian casserole is a reassuringly simple recipe — I scarcely bother to sear the meat — that feeds a huge tableful of people cosily. And — always music to my ears — it is at its best if cooked ahead, cooled and then refrigerated before being reheated.
A final note: it is the shin of beef that makes this stew so sweetly succulent; by all means substitute regular stewing beef, if you must, but it will never cook to the melting softness of shin.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
There is something about cooking the classics that feels like coming home and this comforting Belgian casserole is a reassuringly simple recipe — I scarcely bother to sear the meat — that feeds a huge tableful of people cosily. And — always music to my ears — it is at its best if cooked ahead, cooled and then refrigerated before being reheated.
A final note: it is the shin of beef that makes this stew so sweetly succulent; by all means substitute regular stewing beef, if you must, but it will never cook to the melting softness of shin.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 8
- 1 tablespoon goose fat (or oil of your choice)
- 250 grams smoked lardons or 16 slices smoked bacon, snipped into strips
- 4 onions (chopped)
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1½ kilograms shin of beef (in approx. 4-5 cm cubes)
- 50 grams plain flour
- 625 millilitres beef stock (cube or concentrate is fine)
- 4 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
- 3 tablespoons soft dark brown sugar
- 625 millilitres dark belgian beer (or other dark ale)
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes (or half teaspoon pouring salt)
- 1 pinch of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon goose fat (or oil of your choice)
- 8 ounces smoked lardons or 16 slices smoked bacon, snipped into strips
- 4 onions (chopped)
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 3¼ pounds beef shank (in approx. 4-5 cm cubes)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2⅔ cups beef broth (cube or concentrate is fine)
- 4 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
- 3 tablespoons soft dark brown sugar
- 2⅔ cups dark belgian beer (or other dark ale)
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or half teaspoon pouring salt)
- 1 pinch of black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150ºC/130°C Fan/gas mark 2.
- Get out a large, heavy-bottomed casserole and, on the hob over a medium to high heat, melt 1 tablespoon fat, or warm 1 tablespoon oil. Add the lardons and cook, stirring frequently, for 5–10 minutes, till they’ve crisped up a bit.
- Add the chopped onion, stirring well so that they’re mixed into the bits of bacon, and turn down the heat to low and cook — stirring every now and again — for 10 minutes, by which time the onions will have softened.
- Stir in the allspice and thyme and then tumble in the cubed shin of beef and, for ease, with a pair of spatulas or suchlike, toss and turn the meat in the pan.
- Shake in the flour and stir to mix as best you can.
- Pour the stock into a large jug and stir in the mustard and sugar and then add the beer (if it will fit) before pouring this over the stew in the pan. Stir to mix then leave to come to the boil, add the bay leaves and salt and a good grinding of pepper, then clamp on the lid and stagger to the oven with the heavy pan.
- Cook gently for 3 hours, until the meat is fork tender, and — if you can bear it — let it cool, uncovered, before covering and refrigerating, then leaving it to bring joy to another day. Still, it’s fabulous enough the day it’s cooked and patience is an overrated virtue.
- Preheat the oven to 150ºC/130°C Fan/gas mark 2.
- Get out a large, heavy-bottomed casserole and, on the hob over a medium to high heat, melt 1 tablespoon fat, or warm 1 tablespoon oil. Add the lardons and cook, stirring frequently, for 5–10 minutes, till they’ve crisped up a bit.
- Add the chopped onion, stirring well so that they’re mixed into the bits of bacon, and turn down the heat to low and cook — stirring every now and again — for 10 minutes, by which time the onions will have softened.
- Stir in the allspice and thyme and then tumble in the cubed beef shank and, for ease, with a pair of spatulas or suchlike, toss and turn the meat in the pan.
- Shake in the flour and stir to mix as best you can.
- Pour the stock into a large jug and stir in the mustard and sugar and then add the beer (if it will fit) before pouring this over the stew in the pan. Stir to mix then leave to come to the boil, add the bay leaves and salt and a good grinding of pepper, then clamp on the lid and stagger to the oven with the heavy pan.
- Cook gently for 3 hours, until the meat is fork tender, and — if you can bear it — let it cool, uncovered, before covering and refrigerating, then leaving it to bring joy to another day. Still, it’s fabulous enough the day it’s cooked and patience is an overrated virtue.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD:
The stew can be made up to 2 days ahead. Transfer to non-metallic bowl to cool. Cover and refrigerate as soon as possible. To reheat, put stew back in casserole dish and reheat very gently on the stove, until piping hot; or reheat in oven at 150ºC/gas mark 2 for 1 hour, until piping hot.
FREEZE:
The cooled stew can be frozen, in airtight container, for up to 3 months (and you can freeze in smaller portions for weekday suppers). Defrost overnight in fridge and reheat as above.
MAKE AHEAD:
The stew can be made up to 2 days ahead. Transfer to non-metallic bowl to cool. Cover and refrigerate as soon as possible. To reheat, put stew back in casserole dish and reheat very gently on the stove, until piping hot; or reheat in oven at 150ºC/gas mark 2 for 1 hour, until piping hot.
FREEZE:
The cooled stew can be frozen, in airtight container, for up to 3 months (and you can freeze in smaller portions for weekday suppers). Defrost overnight in fridge and reheat as above.
Tell us what you think
Thank you {% member.data['first-name'] %}.
Explore more recipesYour comment has been submitted.
What 11 Others have said
-
Posted by MacaRodriguez on 22nd March 2019
-
Posted by on 31st December 2015
-
Posted by SueBro on 5th August 2015
-
Posted by akaz on 13th June 2014
-
Posted by chrisowen on 17th March 2014
-
Posted by TineB on 23rd March 2014
-
Posted by Danny_FR on 9th March 2014
-
Posted by Anita Elaine on 21st January 2014
-
Posted by ciaranic on 30th April 2013
-
Posted by nikodownie on 8th April 2013
-
Posted by Patrik&Marleen on 5th February 2013
Show more commentsMmmmm Yummy!!! Love this recipe!!
Lovely and rich. Making it again for visitors on Saturday.
Made this on Friday for a dinner party on Saturday. Couldn't get shin from our butcher but they recommended chuck, apart from that I followed the recipe exactly and, WOW, absolutely delicious. Accompanied it with a root mash of potato, sweet potato and butternut squash and steamed veg. For pudding I made Nigella's choc-chip bread pudding - this gets another WOW. Thank you soooo much Nigella!
I have made this multiple times for a crowd. I paired it with a double mash of yam and regular potatoes (a Nigella idea) and it is divine! A huge hit, it is now known as "magic beef" in to our family and friends. I invite a crowd over just so I can make it! Thank you!
I always put large baked croutons with grated Gruyere cheese on top of the stew and then put it under the grill. According to Belgian friends, this is often done in Belgium.
This is a true Belgian classic. What works very well, is to cover a slice of (slightly stale) bread with the mustard and put this on top (mustard side down). As it sucks up the stock and 'melts' in, it also works a binding agent for your sauce.
To raise the sweetness of this recipe, this is how I use the mustard: I generously spread it over a medium thick gingerbread slice (one per person), then I gently place the "toast" (mustard side facing up) on top of the other ingredients. While cooking, the gingerbread will melt and the mustard/sugar flavors will slowly spread. Do not mix the ingrediants in the casserole until the "mustard toast" has completely melted (cooking on a low heat is required!).
Made this last night to eat tonight (with homemade parpadelle). Went easy on the dried thyme, added a pinch of ground clove, I Tbsp treacle and a roughly chopped leek to balance. It was absolutely delish! Reminds me of a Dutch stew we make using a slice of spice cake (ontbijtkoek) to simmer with and thicken the stew. :D
Delicious. Will definitely make again.
So, so delicious. I've just made this for the second time, think I'm already addicted to the smell of thyme, beer and mustard.
As being flemisch and this dish we love I also put a big tablespoon of ketchup in it tastes good 2 ;)