Josè Pizarro’s Fricando of Beef
This delicious beef stew is a traditional Catalan dish. It is made with brandy, mushrooms, onion, olives and more.
Ingredients
- 60ml (2fl oz) olive oil
- 1.2kg (2lb 10oz) beef shin in large pieces
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 500g (1lb 2oz) fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 100ml (17 fl oz) brandy
- 200g (7 oz) wild mushrooms
- 150g (5oz) black olives, pitted
For the picada:
- Olive oil for frying
- 1 slice bread
- 25g (1oz) hazelnuts
- 25g (1oz) almonds
- Garlic clove
For the mashed potatoes:
- 4 large potatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Method
Heat most of the oil in a casserole dish. Season the beef and brown in the dish.
Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the casserole and fry the onions, carrot and celery for 10 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes more.
Return the meat to the casserole and splash in the brandy. Bubble for a minute then add the stock. Season then cover and simmer gently for 2 ½ – 3 hours.
Meanwhile, make the picada. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the bread until golden. Whiz in a blender with the rest of the picada ingredients and enough oil to make a paste. Set aside.
When the beef is nearly done, heat a little oil in the pan and fry the mushrooms until golden. Add to the casserole with the picada and continue cooking for 20 minutes until the beef is tender and the sauce thick. Add the olives and serve.
For the mash, peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Boil with the garlic cloves, bay leaf, olive oil and pinch of salt. Once cooked, remove, skim off the olive oil and reserve. Drain the potatoes and remove the garlic and bay leaf.
Mash the potatoes with all the olive oil (the reserved and the remaining olive oil and keep going until you have made a sooth puree. Season.
Ingredients
- 60ml (2fl oz) olive oil
- 1.2kg (2lb 10oz) beef shin in large pieces
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 500g (1lb 2oz) fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 100ml (17 fl oz) brandy
- 200g (7 oz) wild mushrooms
- 150g (5oz) black olives, pitted
For the picada:
- Olive oil for frying
- 1 slice bread
- 25g (1oz) hazelnuts
- 25g (1oz) almonds
- Garlic clove
For the mashed potatoes:
- 4 large potatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Method
Heat most of the oil in a casserole dish. Season the beef and brown in the dish.
Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the casserole and fry the onions, carrot and celery for 10 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes more.
Return the meat to the casserole and splash in the brandy. Bubble for a minute then add the stock. Season then cover and simmer gently for 2 ½ – 3 hours.
Meanwhile, make the picada. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the bread until golden. Whiz in a blender with the rest of the picada ingredients and enough oil to make a paste. Set aside.
When the beef is nearly done, heat a little oil in the pan and fry the mushrooms until golden. Add to the casserole with the picada and continue cooking for 20 minutes until the beef is tender and the sauce thick. Add the olives and serve.
For the mash, peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Boil with the garlic cloves, bay leaf, olive oil and pinch of salt. Once cooked, remove, skim off the olive oil and reserve. Drain the potatoes and remove the garlic and bay leaf.
Mash the potatoes with all the olive oil (the reserved and the remaining olive oil and keep going until you have made a sooth puree. Season.
