Carbonade Valdostana

A close up cropped image of Carbonade beef stew on top of polenta.

5 from 1 vote

Carbonade Valdostana is a rich and hearty beef stew from the Aosta Valley. This delicious wintery dish is made with a whole bottle of red wine, festive spices such as cinnamon and cloves, herbs and onions. Perfect served with creamy polenta.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2 15

Total Time2 25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: - 6 servings

Author: Emily Wyper

Equipment

Heavy based pot or Dutch oven

Ingredients

1 kg/ 2 lbs beef chuck or brisket make sure it’s not too lean
all-purpose flour for dusting
2 white onions cut into slices (medium thickness)
1 bottle Italian red wine (we used Barbera d'Asti)
3 cloves
4 juniper berries
1 pinch nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
5-6 sage leaves
2 bay leaves
7 tablespoons (100g) unsalted butter
olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

If not already, cut the beef into medium-sized chunks and salt it generously. Dust the beef in flour shaking off any excess.
Heat half the butter with a drizzle of olive oil in a heavy-based pot, once melted, cook the beef in batches until browned. Set aside on a plate.
Add the other half of butter and another drizzle of olive oil and add the sliced onion with all of the herbs and spices. Cook the onions with the herbs and spices on a medium-low heat for about 7-10 minutes until softened.
Add the beef back in with any juices and add a splash of red wine. Let it bubble and delaze the pot, scraping any brown bits for a few seconds. Add the remaining bottle of red wine. Bring to a simmer then turn down low. Cover the pot leaving the lid a jar and cook the stew for 2 hours.
Uncover the pot completely then let the stew simmer for another 30 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly.
Serve with creamy polenta.

Notes

Don’t use too much flour - shake off all the excess so the beef is just lightly coated.
Spices - feel free to adjust the herbs and spices to your own preference. Some recipes use rosemary or thyme which is a really nice addition.
Serving suggestion - As with most stews, this tastes even better the next day. Let it cool completely, refrigerate then heat up the next day and serve with polenta.
Leftovers - leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition