Salami Stew

I'm baking up a storm in my kitchen. I have tons of things to prepare for christmas, and I promise to tell you all about them - eventually. I just have to get finished first! In addition to christmas, it's Per's birthday tomorrow, and my mother's on the 24:th - so this is a pretty busy time of year for me!

Meanwhile, have a nice, warming stew. This one is particularly good, very hearty and flavorful. As with all stews, it'll be better the longer it cooks (or the day after cooking, actually) but it's perfectly fine after an hour and a half as well.

The recipe comes from Jens Linder, a Swedish food writer with a book that I'd love to have: Långkok. (Which is a Swedish word for food that's slow-cooked, for hours or even days.)

Salami Stew
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 kilo beef, suitable for stewing, in large pieces
salt
black pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp wheat flour
500 ml beef stock
100 ml red wine
1 tsp fennel seeds
100 g italian salami, thinly shredded

Salt and pepper the meat, and brown in a large pot on all sides. Add garlic and onion and fry for a few minutes on lower heat, until the onion softens slightly. Add tomato purée and stir well. Dust over the flour and stir again.

Add the stock and the red wine. Bash the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar and add them, too. And go ahead and add the salami as well.

Cover with a lid and let the stew simmer for at least an hour and a half, but preferrably longer. The meat should be very tender, and falling apart.

Serve with boiled potatoes, or rice.

Recipe in Swedish:
Salamigryta