Serves 4
Equipment: Large oven proof dish
Ingredients
Stew:
500g diced Hunts Premium beef braising steak
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp flaky sea salt
olive oil, for frying
1 onion, diced
2 celery sticks, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
200g of chestnut mushrooms, halved
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp marmite
200ml of red wine
400ml of beef or chicken stock
Scones:
450g self-raising flour
120g butter
150g comte
1 tbsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
300ml of milk, (you may not need it all)
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
Method:
1 Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a large, shallow oven-proof dish over a high heat. Once hot, add the beef and brown well on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan with another splash of oil and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened.
2 Return the beef and any resting juices to the pan. Stir in the flour, the Dijon mustard, and Marmite, mixing until everything is evenly coated. Pour in the red wine and stock, stirring well to combine. Bring to a simmer, then cook gently over a low heat for 25 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
3 Meanwhile, prepare the scones. Add the self-raising flour, baking powder, salt, and butter to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add three-quarters of the grated Comté, the chopped tarragon, and wholegrain mustard, then pulse briefly to combine. Gradually add the milk, pulsing until the dough just comes together. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but you may not need all the milk. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together into a ball. Place in a bowl, cover, and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
4 Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/Gas Mark 6). Divide the scone mixture into 8-9 evenly sized pieces and roll very roughly into balls. Don’t roll them until smooth; the craggy texture gives you a nice crispy topping. Arrange the scones on top, brush with beaten egg, and scatter over the remaining Comté and finish with a little black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, until the scones are golden and cooked through. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
