We’ve had our share of cold, wet days recently. They seemed to call out for a warming one-dish meal. Old-fashioned beef stew comes to mind, that lovely concoction bubbling with chunks of beef and vegetables, adrift in a thickened broth replete with just-right spices.

This version comes from a cookbook by the late Marion Cunningham, an American food writer. Cunningham wrote eight cookbooks, including the 1979 and 1990 revisions of the “Fannie Farmer Cookbook.”

Serve it in soup bowls and accompany it with toasted artisanal-style bread.

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds of stewing beef

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil, plus a little more if needed

4 cups boiling water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 large brown onion, halved from top to bottom, sliced

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

12 small (peeled) carrots, or 6 large (peeled) carrots cut into bite-sized chunks

12 small onions (pearl onions), peeled

8 small red potatoes or Baby Dutch Yellow potatoes

Optional: About 1 cup frozen peas

PROCEDURE

1. On a rimmed plate or sheet of waxed paper, mix flour, salt and pepper. Roll beef in flour mixture and shake off excess flour. Heat oil on medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot that has a lid. When oil is hot, add about 5 or 6 pieces of beef and brown on all sides (do not crowd them). Place browned beef and plate and repeat until all beef is browned, adding a little more oil if needed.

2. When the last batch of beef is browned, return all beef pieces, and cautiously add boiling water (stand back because it may splatter). Stir in juice, Worcestershire, sugar, onion slices, bay leaves, and allspice. Reduce heat and cover; simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until beef is tender, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Add carrots, small white onions, and potatoes. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 more minutes, or until vegetables can be easily pierced with a fork. If adding peas, add them (frozen) during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Source: “Lost Recipes” by Marion Cunningham (Knoff, $22)

Cooking question? Contact Cathy Thomas at [email protected]

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