Beef, Barley and Butternut Squash Stew with Blue Cheese Croutons

By thatjerseygirl

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 lb. boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 Tbs. all-purpsoed flour
• 4 1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter (1 1/2 Tbs. softened)
• 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large leeks (white and light-green parts only), halved and thinly sliced
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium ribs celery, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 6 cups lower-salt chicken broth
• 2/3 cup pearl barley
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lb), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
• 3 Tbs. finely chopped walnuts
• 18 1/2 -inch thick baguette slices

Preparation

Step 1

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Season the beef with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and then toss in a large bowl with 2 Tbs. of the flour. Heat 1 Tbs. of the butter and the oil in a 5 1/2-to-6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook half of the beef until browned on several sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef.

Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter in the pot. Add the leeks, carrots, celery and a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until evaporated, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 Tbs. flour and cook for 1 minute.

Whisk in 5 cups of the broth. Stir in the barley, bay leaves, sage, nutmet, 1/2 tsp salt and the beef along with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot sungly with foil and then a tight-fitting lid and braise in the oven until the beef is almost tender, about 1 hour. Stir in the squash and the remaining 1 cup broth. Cover with the foil and lid and continue braising until the beef and squash are very tender, about 30 minutes more.

Remove and discard the bay leaves from the stew, and then stir in the parsley and half-and-half. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep hot.

In a small bowl, combine the softened 1 1/2 Tbs butter with the blue cheese, walnuts and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Spread the mixture evenly onto the baguette slices. Transfer to a baking sheet.

Position a rack about 8 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high. Broil the croutons until deep golden-brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the stew with the croutons.