Stew is the most humble of dishes in my books. Some of my best conversations have taken place over a pot of hot stew. 

When I first moved to Johannesburg in the early 2000s, I never had a lot of money so I used to make stew quite often. I used to add cabbage to it. These days I’m addicted to a modest few vegetables in my pot but I’ve learned to add a lot of herbs to my dish. 

The heat of pepper also goes a long way in stew and my secret ingredient is fish broth. Make it yourself, or buy it from a local store. Fish broth in a beef stew is the ultimate weapon. 

Top tip: Use a red wine that you would drink when making your stew. I almost always choose to use a Merlot, but a Syrah or a red blend is just as nice. 

Ingredients

1/4 cup oil

1.5 kg of lean beef portions

2 onions, diced

1/2 pocket of baby potatoes

5 carrots, peeled and cut in rounds

1 cup peas (optional)

punnet of button mushrooms, whole or halved

1/2 packet of green beans, halve the bean

bunch of fresh thyme

bunch of fresh rosemary

stick of cinnamon 

6 whole cloves

4 big bay leaves

5 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 tsp cayenne pepper/paprika

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 bottle of red wine of your choice

1/2 L beef stock, or 2 beef stock cubes

1tbsp concentrated fish broth

1 packet of oxtail soup

1 tbsp Bisto gravy powder 

1 cup boiling water

Method

1. Heat oil on a medium to high heat. 

2. Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a plate. Coat all the meat pieces with your flour mixture. 

3. Fry your meat in the hot oil until you have a nice sear on each piece. Set it aside in a bowl and let it rest. 

4. Add onions, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves to the pot. Fry onions until translucent. 

5. Add all the vegetables to the pot and fry until they get some colour to it. 

6. Mix in the cayenne/paprika at this stage. 

7. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with a string and add it to the pot with your garlic.

8. When you start smelling the herbs, add wine to the pot. Stir well. 

9. Add your meat to the pot, and cover. 

10. In a mug, mix the oxtail soup and Bisto gravy with boiling water. Wisk with a fork and add the mixture to the stew. 

11. The gravy will look thick at this point but water it down a little bit with an extra cup or two of water. 

12. Add the fish concentrate to the pot and give it a good stir. 

13. Let your stew bubble away for 2 hours on medium to low heat, or until the meat and potatoes are soft. 

14. Salt to taste and enjoy hot.