last night i made one of my very favorite dishes, estofado. it's one of my kiddos favorite too and has been since julian was a wee little thing. i got the recipe from a dear old friend of mine named faye. (i miss her.)
for those of you who have never had estofado, it's a spanish dish, almost stew like and is delicious. there are all different types of estofado, but this one is my favorite. it's the perfect meal for those chilly winter nights.
3 large carrots
1 yellow onion
2 cloved minced garlic
3-4 potatoes
1 lb. good quality beef for stew
1 cup of good white wine
1 cup of water
1/3 cup flour
small can of peas (or frozen)
3 bay leaves
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
you could easily swap out the beef for chicken or another protein and if you don't eat meat you could make a vegetable stew and i am sure it would be just as tasty.
heat large iron skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. add chopped onion and carrots. let them sweat and brown up a little bit. add garlic and cook for another few minutes just be careful not to burn it. burned garlic is pretty ewe.
next add your meat and brown it up real good on all sides to seal in the juices.
once the meat is all browned up nicely stir in 1/3 cup of flour to coat everything. this will be the base of your estofado and act as a thickening agent. next add 1 cup of wine and 1 cup of water and stir well.
(one cup of wine for cooking and a little cup for me!)
bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. add three bay leaves.
let simmer on low heat for approx. two hours or until meat is tender, adding more water if your sauce starts to get too thick. once your meat is cooked properly it's time to peel and cut your potatoes.
add peas to your stew and a pinch of pepper and three pinches of salt... continue to let simmer.
next pan fry potatoes in olive oil until crispy and brown. set aside on a paper towel and salt them.
once your potatoes are done remove your estofado from heat, remove the bay leaves and top with potatoes. serve an enjoy!
so yummy you'll want seconds! maybe ever thirds. reheat the next day and it's even better. my kiddos love to have me heat up the leftovers and pack them for their lunch. i hope you like it as much as we do! XO.
