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Hachee
Hachee: Dutch beef and onion stew with bay, cloves and a dash of vinegar
Hachee is the Dutch stoofpotje that grandmothers in Friesland, Groningen and Brabant leave murmuring on the back of the stove on cold Sundays: beef braised with almost as much onion as meat, plus bay leaves, cloves and a splash of vinegar, until it falls apart into a dark, sweet-sour gravy. It goes on boiled potatoes with red cabbage, or with stamppot, and leftovers are eaten on toast. The usual mistake is rushing the onions: they need a good 15 minutes to turn deep golden, or the gravy stays pale and sharp. Slow-cooker option: after browning, cook on low for 8 hours. Chef's tip: stir in a spoon of dark syrup or apple butter at the end only if the vinegar tastes too sharp; taste first, as good onions often make it unnecessary.
- Total time
- 190 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef chuck or shincut into 4 cm pieces
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4 onionshalved and sliced
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 cups beef stock
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp apple butter or dark syrup (optional)
To serve
- 1 ¾ lb boiled potatoes
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Season the 2 lb beef chuck or shin with ¾ tsp salt and dust it with 2 tbsp plain flour.
3 minStep 2: Heat 1 ½ tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches until dark on all sides, 4–5 minutes per batch. Set aside.
15 minStep 3: Add the rest of the 1 ½ tbsp sunflower oil and the 4 onions, lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring, until deep golden and soft.
15 minStep 4: Return the beef. Add 3 bay leaves, 4 whole cloves, 8 black peppercorns, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and 2 cups beef stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
3 minStep 5: Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 2½ hours, stirring every 30 minutes and adding a splash of water if it catches, until the beef shreds when pressed with a spoon. Slow-cooker option: low for 8 hours.
150 minStep 6: Taste and stir in 1 tbsp apple butter or dark syrup only if needed. Remove the cloves and bay if you can find them, and serve over 1 ¾ lb boiled potatoes.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hachee take?
- About 190 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 170 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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