Organic Cookbook: 5 delicious organic recipes

Slow-Simmered Beef Daube with Red Wine and Garlic
This recipe is the ultimate in hands-off cooking. You don’t even have to brown the meat and vegetables. Just place everything in the pot and cook very slowly while you get on with something else. Research shows that red wine in moderation may lower the risk of heart disease. Now that’s news to drink to.

Serves 4–6

1kg piece beef suitable for stewing, braising or pot-roasting, such as silverside or brisket
2 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
4 streaky bacon slices, finely chopped
½ tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh thyme
4 carrots, cut into 8cm lengths
4 celery stalks, cut into 8cm lengths
8 shallots or 2 onions, root end intact, peeled and quartered
8 whole garlic cloves
12 brown or field mushrooms
8 medium potatoes, halved lengthwise
250ml red wine
2 tbsp cognac or brandy, optional
salt, black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2.
2. Sprinkle the beef all over with black pepper. In a heavy-based pot, place the garlic, onion, bacon and thyme. Place the beef on top and surround with the carrots, celery, shallots or onions, garlic, mushrooms and potatoes. Pour over the red wine and cognac, if using. Place the pot over medium heat and bring just to a simmer. Cover and put into the oven to cook slowly until very tender, 3–4 hours, making sure that the liquid does not boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cut the beef into thick slices and place on warmed plates. Surround with the vegetables and spoon over the beef juices. Serve hot.

Variation: Slow-Simmered Beef Stew with Red Wine and Garlic
Use stewing beef cut into 4cm cubes in place of the whole piece of beef. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the cooking pot and fry meat a few pieces at a time until browned all over, 3 minutes. Remove from pot and proceed as directed.

Source: Organic Cookbook by Renée Elliott and Eric Treuillé (Dorling Kindersley).