Beef Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups veal or beef stock, at room temperature
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound small (golf ball size) new potatoes, quartered
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan and season the beef with 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper. Sear the beef (in 2 batches) in the saute pan for about 2 or 3 minutes per side.
Add the butter, mushrooms, flour, veal stock, tomato paste, herbs, spices, and browned meat to a slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and set the temperature to high. Cook for 1 hour. Add the potatoes and carrots and continue to cook the stew for another 7 hours. During the last hour of cooking, add the pearl onions and replace the lid. Once the stew is cooked, stir in the peas and parsley and serve immediately.


Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.