Can I Make The Carbonnade A La Flamande Gluten Free?

Our answer

Nigella's Carbonnade A la Flamande (from KITCHEN) is a warming beef stew that is made with Belgian beer and beef shin (shank). These give the stew a rich flavour. Nigella uses plain (all-purpose) flour to thicken the stew. The flour can be replaced with cornflour (cornstarch), but we would mention that many Belgian beers are made with barley or wheat, so would not be suitable for someone with a gluten allergy. You would need to check the bottle to make sure that the beer you buy is gluten free.

If you can find a gluten-free beer then you need to slightly tweak the recipe method for cornflour. Cornflour tends to lose its thickening qualities if it is simmered for too long, so rather than adding it to the browned meat in the pan, you need to add cornflour just before serving the stew. You are probably going to need 2-3 tablespoons of cornflour to thicken the stew. We suggest starting with 2 tablespoons, which need to be mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water in a bowl that you can add extra liquid to. Put the pot of stew on the hob or stove and bring to a gentle simmer. Add a ladleful of the cooking liquor to the slaked cornflour (cornstarch slurry) and stir in, then whisk this mixture into the stew. Let the stew bubble for a few minutes, stirring as much as possible, until the liquid thickens slightly. If you want a slightly thicker stew then mix an extra tablespoon of cornflour with cold water and repreat the process.