Breakaway Blog

St. Paddy's Day Recipe

Happy St. Paddy's Day! In true foodie fashion, we would love to share one of our favorite Irish recipes with you. And, of course it includes one of the most traditional Irish stouts, Guinness. Why is Breakaway Tours & Event Planning, notorious for their passion for wine, sending me a recipe with beer? Great question! The truth is, we do not discriminate and equally enjoy beer as well. In fact, we offer private custom beer tours as well as wine tours. Let us know if you want to "hop" on board!

We hope you enjoy the recipe. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Irish Beef Stew with Guinness Stout

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
3 bay leaves
2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch cubes (with some fat)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried thyme, whole
1 tsp dried rosemary
2-3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup beef stock
1/2 cup Guinness stout
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 lb carrots, sliced
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat a 6-quart dutch oven and add the oil and the bay leaves. Cook the bay leaves for a moment and then add the meat.
Brown the meat on both sides on high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for a few minutes until it is clear. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and flour, and stir well until smooth.
Add the beef stock and stout; simmer, stirring, until the stew thickens a bit. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring a couple of times. Check for salt and pepper before serving.

Serves 4-6 

February 2008 Recipe & Wine Pairing: Jambalaya & Rose

In an effort to continue the celebrations, here is a New Orleans style dish in honor of Mardi Gras. Enjoy!

Ingredients
3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille, sliced into rounds
1 large red pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation
Sauté the sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Add the red pepper to the Dutch oven; sauté 2 minutes. Add the celery, scallions, parsley, garlic, and thyme, stirring well. Cook another 3 minutes, then add the rice, still stirring. Add the chicken, combining well. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is done. Stir in the shrimp and lemon juice and cook until the shrimp are just done, another 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm. Yields eight servings.

Wine Pairing
Garretson Wine Company’s 2005 "The Celeidh" Dry Rosé, Paso Robles