Carbonade Valdostana
A classic Aosta Valley stew of sliced beef braised slowly with deeply caramelised onions and regional dry red wine, served over hot polenta.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 130 min
- Total
- 150 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 610 kcal
Equipment
- •Cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven
- •Wooden spoon
- •Chef's knife
- •Medium saucepan for polenta
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 58 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 48 g
- calories
- 610 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Dust the sliced beef pieces evenly in the plain flour and shake off any excess.
- 2
Melt the butter in a heavy casserole over medium-low heat.
- 3
Add the sliced onions and cook gently for twenty minutes until soft, sweet, and golden brown.
- 4
Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
- 5
Raise the heat to medium-high and sear the beef in batches until browned on both sides.
- 6
Return the cooked onions to the casserole along with the bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon.
- 7
Pour in the red wine and boil rapidly for two minutes to burn off the alcohol.
- 8
Add the warm beef stock, sea salt, and black pepper, then reduce the heat to low.
- 9
Cover with a tight lid and simmer very gently for ninety minutes until the beef is meltingly tender.
- 10
Cook the polenta in salted boiling water in a separate pan according to package instructions.
- 11
Uncover the stew for the final ten minutes until the sauce turns glossy and thick.
- 12
Spoon generous helpings of beef stew and rich onion gravy over steaming mounds of yellow polenta.
Chef's tips
Cook the onions patiently over low heat as their natural sweetness balances the acidity of the dry red wine. If using traditional pre-salted beef, rinse it first and reduce the added salt in the recipe.
Ingredient substitutions
- plain flour → cornstarch or fine rice flour for a gluten-free dish
- Valdostan red wine → Piedmontese Nebbiolo, Barbera, or any robust dry red wine
Storage
Keep cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a lidded pan over low heat with a splash of beef stock or water until hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the stew rapidly rather than keeping it at a bare simmer, which toughens the beef.
- •Rushing the onion caramelisation, resulting in an overly sharp and thin sauce.
- •Using an overly sweet dessert wine instead of a dry, tannic mountain red.
Serving suggestions
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