Jachtschotel (Dutch Hunter's Stew)

By Pictor

I am not quite sure how this came down to me, but I have made this for many years. I went over to some Dutch recipe sites, and my own version doesn't seem to be too far off, except this one is topped with breadcrumbs and the potatoes are left more in pieces. The other recipes look more like a derivative of English Shepherd's Pie with mash on top.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean stewing beef
• 1/2 c. seasoned flour (salt & pepper to taste)
• 1 Tb canola oil
• I large sweet yellow onion, halved & sliced thinly across;
• 2/3 c. dry red wine
• 1 c. beef stock
• 2 tsp. Herbes du Provence, crushed
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1-1/2 lb. red potatoes, large cube (I leave the skins on);
• 3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled. cored and sliced thickly
• 1 tsp allspice, ground or fresh grated
• 1 c. whole grain breadcrumbs

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a large Dutch oven or 6 quart pot over med. high heat. Dredge stew beef through seasoned flour. Add 1 Tb oil to pot and sear off the beef until it begins to brown. Add sliced onions. When a brown fond begins to form on the bottom of the pot, add wine, stir to remove all fond and dissolve it. Add beef stock. Lower heat to a simmer, cover pot and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. Add potatoes, Herbes du Provence and bay leaves, cover, cook another 30 min. If the stew is thickening too much, add small amounts of water. Add apples and allspice, simmer another ten minutes or until the apples have just begun to cook through. Check for seasoning, I usually add salt & fresh pepper here. Transfer the whole into a large ovenproof casserole. Oven set to bake at 375. Top with breadcrumbs (this is also good if you add 3 oz. melted unsalted buttuer to the breadcrumbs, optional) and bake until the breadcrumbs have browned (15 minutes or so). Serves 4-6