Beef Bourguignon
Serves 6
Ingredients
Another classic, this is a slightly simplified version.
For entertaining of any kind, it is great as it can be made the previous day. I love to eat this with Garlic Layered Potatoes or Nutmeg Masho.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200 g (7 oz) streaky bacon, cut into 1 cm (1⁄2 in) cubes
- 18 baby onions or shallots, peeled
- 1.5 kg (31⁄4 lb) stewing beef, cut into 4 cm (11⁄2 in) cubes
- pepper
- 40 g (11⁄2 oz) flour
- 400 ml (14 fl oz) red wine
- 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 stalks parsley
- small piece of orange zest
- 450 ml (3⁄4 pt) beef or chicken stock
- 18 small button mushrooms, tossed in a hot pan with a small knob of butter (about 25 g (1 oz)), till golden
Method
- Step 1
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas 3.
- In a casserole or a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and brown the bacon.
- Remove and set aside, leaving any fat in the saucepan.
- Add the onions and cook those, stirring on a high heat till golden, then take out and add to the bacon.
- Step 2
- Pop the beef into the hot pan in batches, and cook till brown.
- Season with pepper.
- Put all the beef back into the pan and scatter in the flour, stirring the meat all the time.
- Pour in the wine and garlic.
Step 3- Stir again and add the bay, thyme, parsley and orange zest (I sometimes tie these up with string so that I can pull them out easily later).
- Add the bacon and onions again, and enough stock to come about three-quarters of the way up the ingredients in the pot.
- Bring up to the boil, put the lid on, and place in a preheated oven for 21⁄2 hours until almost tender.
- Step 4
- Add the mushrooms and continue to cook the stew for another 30–40 minutes or until the beef is tender.
- Remove the orange zest and herbs, correct the seasoning, and serve.
NOTE
If making this a day or two in advance, I would add the mushrooms and finish cooking it on the day it is to be eaten, for the best results.
