Fall Stew

Wine:

Virginie de Valandraud Sait-Emilion Grand Cru 2004
Batic Sivi Pinot 2004
Curran Sytrah Black Oak Vineyard 2004

Billy was on vacation and so we invited Kevin and Bea to join us for dinner. The weather has cooled in LA and it was a great fall dinner. We started with a Radicchio Salad - from the Zuni Café Cookbook.

We followed that with a great stew, Estouffade Provencale, from the Bistro Cookbook by Patricia Wells.

We had been to Campanile on Friday and a very simple and good desert. Ice Cream with a Sherry poured over it and a cookie on the side. The Sherry is called: Don PX 1971. We had never had the Sherry before and it is GREAT over ice cream, couldn’t be simpler (or better).

Estouffade Provencale
==================
2 ½ pounds stewing beef cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 carrot, peeled and cut into ½ rounds
1 celery rib, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 bottle red wine
1 bunch of fresh thyme
3 imported bay leaves
1 stip of orange zest, chopped

1. 2 days before serving the stew, combine all ingredients except the zest, in a large enameled casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next day, open the lid of the casserole and cover the stew with parchment and then replace the lid.
3. Place in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour
4. Lower temperature to 250 and bake 4 more hours.
5. Allow the stew to cool down.
6. Refrigerate until the fat rises to the top and can easily be scrapped off with a spoon, about 12 hours.
7. At serving time, scrape off any additional fat, reheat on top of stove until heated through, about 10 – 15 minutes, remove the bay leave and thyme, stir in the orange zest. Serve over La Macronade pasta.

8. Cook the Macaronade, then drain. Pour half the cooked pasta in a gratin dish and add 1 cup of the cooking liquid from the stew and stir. Cover with ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese. Top the mixture with the other half of the cooked pasta and cover with another ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. Broil a few minutes till browned. Serve the Stew over the pasta.