Beef Bourguignon was one of the first dishes I ever learnt to make. I was working in a pub in Bournemouth on the south coast of England and this was one of the Sunday lunch house favourites. Although I learnt the English method first, this dish originates from Burgundy, hence the name.
YIELDS
4 Servings
1 kg stewing beef, cut into 1inch cubes
100 g butter
250 g button mushrooms
20 cocktail onions, peeled
1 onion, chopped
1 leek chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
250 g streaky bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
4 large sprigs thyme
750 ml red wine
200 ml beef stock
chopped parsley for garnishing
for the cauli-mash
800 g cauliflower, broken into florets
100 g butter
salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a heavy based casserole pot.
Add the seasoned beef pieces and brown them well in the pot. It is best to do this in batches so that you can get great colour on the beef.
Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.
Add the cocktail onions to the pot and allow them to brown well. Add the button mushrooms and fry until soft. Remove the onions and the mushrooms from the pot and set aside.
Add the diced onion, celery, leek and bacon to the pot and gently fry until soft.
Return the beef to the pot with the minced garlic, bay leaves, thyme, red wine and stock.
Allow everything to simmer gently for at least an hour and a half, until the meat is tender. It may take a little longer if the pieces of beef are bigger.
Add the onions and mushrooms and cook for a further 30 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
Serve with cauli-mash and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
To make the mash, steam the cauliflower until it is mushy (always steam and never boil your veggies; boiling will literally wash the nutrients away). Using a stick blender or a food processor, purée the cauliflower until it is smooth. While continuing to purée, add the butter and beat until smooth and silky.