Irish Stew - slow cooker

 Ingredients

• 400ml Guinness
• 500g Stewing Beef
• any mushrooms to hand
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped (skin left on)
• Handful of fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2-3 beef stock cubes
• 600ml boiling water (or less if you prefer)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 7 potatoes, peeled and quartered

  Method

1. Cut the beef into 30cm cubes.  Season with salt and pepper, Dust with plain flour and fry until browned.
2. Fry the onions until golden.
3. Fry mushrooms.
4. Put all the ingredients into a slow cooker.
5. Add stock to the pans used for frying and scrape the brown bits off.
6. Pour into the slow cooker.
7. Add the Guiness.
8. Cook on low for 4 hours.  Test the meat and cook for longer if necessary.
9. Leave the lid off the slow cooker and allow evaporation to thicken the gravy or use cornflour paste to thicken.
10. Serve with a crusty bread such as a French Baguette.