Mary Berry's 'comfort' beef stew recipe can be prepared in 15 minutes (2024)

Mary Berry shares her recipe for beef and ale stew

There is nothing better than simple beef stew on a rainy cold evening, and it can be incredibly easy to cook with the right recipe.

Mary Berry’s beef bourguignon is a French beef stew braised in red wine, and the legendary cook has shared that the wine is the secret to making it incredibly flavourful.

In her cookbook Simple Comforts Mary wrote: “A French classic, this is the ultimate comfort stew, with a warming intense red wine flavour.

“The secret is to reduce the red wine first to give a lovely richness to the dish.”

This recipe only takes about 15 minutes to prepare before it slowly roasts in the oven for two hours, making it perfect for anyone wanting a home-cooked meal without too much effort.

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This mouth-watering stew is the 'ultimate comfort stew' (Image: Getty)

It only takes 15 minutes to prepare this recipe before it slowly roasts in the oven (Image: Getty)

How to make Mary Berry’s beef bourguignon

Ingredients

• 900g of braised beef
• 500g of small button mushrooms
• 500g of baby shallots
• 150g of streaky bacon
• 45g of plain flour
• 200ml of beef stock
• 600ml of red wine
• Three bay leaves
• Two garlic cloves
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• One tablespoon of redcurrant jelly
• One tablespoon of tomato puree
• One tablespoon of chopped thyme
• Salt and pepper

Kitchen equipment needed:

• Saucepan
• Large frying pan with a lid or an ovenproof casserole dish

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This is the perfect dinner for a cold rainy day (Image: Getty)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C (140C Fan or Gas Mark 3).

Cut the beef into 2cm cubes, chop the bacon into small pieces, peel the baby shallots and crush the garlic.

Pour the wine into a saucepan and boil over a high heat until it reduces to 450ml, just over one-third.

Heat the oil in the large frying pan or ovenproof casserole dish. Add the beef and brown on a high heat until golden all over. Then remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. You may need to do the beef in batches to not overcrowd the pan.

Add the bacon and cook until crisp, then set aside with the beef. Add the shallots and brown them over a high heat for a few minutes, then add the garlic to cook for a few seconds.

Return the beef and bacon to the pan, then add the flour to coat the beef and vegetables. Cook for a minute over a high heat. Pour in the reduced wine and stock into the pan and stir until the sauce has thickened.

Add the redcurrant jelly, tomato puree, bay leaves and thyme. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Cover with a lid and transfer to a preheated oven for about two hours. Remove from the oven after the time is up and stir in the mushrooms. Cover with a lid again for a further 30 minutes until the beef is completely tender.

Your delicious stew is now ready to serve. Mary Berry recommends serving piping hot with mashed potatoes and your favourite green vegetable.

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