Fezzik's Stew | The Princess Bride

          Remember that time Fezzik the giant revived an inebriated Inigo Montoya after their job with Vizzini failed? Fezzik spoon fed Inigo some nice looking stew--so nice in fact that Inigo put his face in it--and then dunked Inigo's head alternately in barrels of ice cold and steaming hot water to wake him up. Well, below is a recipe for that stew. Barrels of water as a final course are optional.

          Fezzik and Inigo are characters from the cult classic, 1987 film, "The Princess Bride", based on the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman. We only get a visual of the potatoes and carrots in the stew but the broth is dark in color so I assume it's beef. I've included steak in the recipe below but you can leave it out and use vegetable stock instead if you want to go vegetarian, using more worcestershire and perhaps other ingredients like a little tomato paste and possibly mushrooms to get the beefy color.

Note: As you can see from the photos of the stew there are oil bubbles in the broth because of the butter and meat essence. It tastes yummy but if you don't like the look of it there are a couple of ways to (mostly) get rid of it. Drain the meat before you add the broth and skim the oil off while the stew is cooking, never letting it get to a hard boil, only a simmer. If you'll be serving the stew at a later time you can chill it and then skim any oil off before reheating.

Fezzik's Stew

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Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Butter (or oil)
1 1/2 lbs. Steak, cubed
1/2 tsp. ground Black Pepper
1 tsp. dried Thyme or Rosemary
1 tsp. dried Parsley
1 tsp. Minced Garlic
4 Cups Beef Broth
2 Cups Water (or 2 more cups of broth)
4-5 Carrots
2-3 Yukon Potatoes (Yukon potatoes don't get as mushy as other potatoes when cooked)
1 large Onion
1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp. Corn Starch + 2 Tbsp. Water

Directions:
1. In a large pan or pot over medium heat, melt the butter & cook the steak cubes until they are just browning. Add the ground pepper, thyme, & minced garlic & stir. Pour in the beef broth & simmer, covered, for an hour.
2. Chop the carrots, potatoes, & onions into bite-sized pieces & add them to the broth & meat. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce & 2 cups of water (or more broth). In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch & 2 Tbsp. of water until the starch is completely dissolved, & then stir it into the stew. Cover & simmer on low for another hour (the long simmering makes the meat more tender). Serve with rustic/hearty bread for dipping.
Note: If you'd like the stew a bit creamy or thicker you can drain some or all of the broth into a blender (in batches) & add in some of the vegetables (not the meat). Blend with a towel on the top instead of the lid (to let steam escape), & then add the mixture back into the stew.