Nigella Lawson's beef stew recipe, which takes just 15 minutes of preparation, relies on anchovies as a secret ingredient to deliver deep, savoury flavour without any fishy taste.
Writing on her recipe blog, Lawson said: "The anchovies really just provide flavourfulness, certainly not fishiness." She noted that there is no need to mention their presence if you are feeding people who might be against the idea.
Why Anchovies Elevate Beef Stew
Adding seafood to a beef stew might seem unusual, but anchovies are known for their rich, umami-packed quality. Oil-packed anchovies melt seamlessly into the stew, creating a rich base. Lawson recommends using six anchovies, though anchovy paste works as an alternative.
Ingredients and Method
The recipe serves six to eight people and includes 1.5kg of stewing steak, one large onion, three garlic cloves, three medium carrots, four celery sticks, two teaspoons of dried thyme (or 1.5 tablespoons fresh), six anchovies, three tablespoons of marsala, 500ml of red wine, 300ml of beef stock, one tablespoon of tomato puree, and half a teaspoon of mace.
Begin by heating the oven to 150°C/130°C Fan/Gas Mark 2. Warm olive oil in a casserole dish on the hob, then cook the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until softened without browning. Add the beef and toss until it loses its raw colour. Stir in the thyme, anchovies, marsala, red wine, stock, tomato puree, and mace. Bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper, cover, and place in the oven for three hours.
Stovetop Alternative
One home cook shared a stovetop method in the comments: "Delicious! If you don't have an ovenproof casserole or three hours to spare, this can be made perfectly well on the stovetop. I made half the quantity, added four medium potatoes, peeled and quartered them, and at the lowest possible simmer, it was ready after 90 minutes. A great one-dish meal for four."
