Keenan's WOW stew

This is slightly modified from the "Westfall Stew" recipe by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel in the World of Warcraft Official Cookbook.  Keenan made up a mix of the "Northern Spices" to have on hand, including whole juniper berries, but I have estimated the individual quantities below.  Today there is an ice storm in North Carolina and Noelle and Keenan's house smelled divine all afternoon.   The stew is a delicious take on beef bourguignon.  (By the way, the color is off in the photo - it is dark brown, not orangey in color). 

Ingredients: 

2 pounds high quality stew beef, cut into bite-sized pieces 

4-5 slices bacon, cut into bite sized pieces  

2 T butter, melted, divided 

1 pound button mushrooms, sliced 

1 1/2 C peeled pearl onions (par boil for a minute or so, and the skins slide right off) 

1 T brown sugar

1/4 C flour

4 C beef broth

2 C red wine

1/4 tsp cardamon 

a good pinch of dried juniper berries 

good dash salt and pepper 

pinch powdered ginger

dash nutmeg 

6 carrots, peeled and cut into large bite sized pieces 

1 garlic head, cloves separated and peeled 

1/2 C pearl barley 

2 bay leaves

1 T minced fresh parsley 

1.  Preheat oven to 475.  Toss the beef with a little salt and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you do the following: 

2.  In Le Creuset pot, add the bacon and 1 T butter.  Cook until fat is rendered out of the bacon.  

3.  Toss the mushrooms and pearl onions with the remaining 1 T melted butter and the brown sugar.  Spread out the onions and mushrooms onto a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.  Set this mixture aside in a bowl.  

3.  Reduce oven to 325 degrees.  Over medium heat, whisk flour into the bacon and bacon fat.  Gradually whisk in the broth, 1/2 the wine, and the spices.  Add the carrots, garlic,  barley, and bay leaves; and then the stew beef on top of everything else. Add water to almost cover the meat, but not quite.  

4.  Cover and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, then stir.  Add the remaining wine, and the mushrooms and onions. Cook, covered, for another 30 minutes.

5.  Serve in bowls and sprinkle with the fresh parsley.  

YUM