Boeuf Bourguignon

A deeply flavoursome stew from Burgundy, in which beef slowly cooks in red wine, bacon and aromatic herbs. Ideal for cooler days, and very suitable for making a day ahead.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 30 minutes
Cooking: 2½–3 hours
Total time: approx. 3 hours

Ingredients

• 1 kg beef for stewing (rib or chuck)
• 150 g smoked diced bacon or diced streaky bacon
• 250 ml dry red Burgundy (or other dry red wine)
• 250 ml beef stock
• 50 ml cognac (optional, for extra depth)
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms
• 2 to 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 30 g tomato purée (approx. 2 tablespoons)
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 winter carrots
• 4 shallots or 2 medium onions
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• A few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 250 g small onions (for example, pearl onions or small shallots)
• 20 g unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 50 ml water
• Pinch of salt
• A few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Creamy mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes

Preparation

• Peel the carrots and cut them into large pieces.
• Peel the shallots or onions and cut them into wedges.
• Peel the garlic and finely chop it.
• Clean the mushrooms and halve any large ones.
• Pick the parsley leaves. Finely chop the leaves and set aside for garnish.
• Keep the stalks and tie them together with the thyme and bay leaves into a bouquet garni (with kitchen string).
• Cut the beef into even cubes.
• Season the meat generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Lightly coat the cubes in flour so they are covered all over. Shake off the excess flour.
• If you want to cook the stew in the oven: preheat the oven to 150 °C.

Method

1. Render the bacon
   Heat a large braising or casserole pan with a thick base over medium-high heat. Fry the bacon without any extra fat, gently rendering it until golden brown and it has released its fat. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pan.
2. Brown the meat
   If needed, add a knob of butter to the bacon fat. Brown the meat in batches over medium-high heat. Take your time: good browning adds lots of flavour. Remove the browned meat from the pan and set aside with the bacon.
3. Fry the vegetables
   Add a little more butter if necessary. Add the carrot pieces and the shallot or onion wedges to the pan and fry for a few minutes until lightly coloured. Add the chopped garlic and fry briefly, without letting it burn.
4. Deglaze with cognac and cook the tomato purée
   Pour the cognac into the pan and let most of the alcohol evaporate. Add the tomato purée and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes to remove the raw taste.
5. Add the wine, stock and herbs
   Pour the red wine and the beef stock into the pan. Stir well over the bottom so all the browned bits come loose. Return the meat and bacon to the pan and add the bouquet garni. Bring everything gently to the boil, then lower the heat so the stew stays just below a simmer.
6. Simmer the meat gently
   Put the lid on the pan, slightly ajar if you want the sauce to reduce a little. Simmer the boeuf bourguignon for 2½–3 hours over low heat, or place the pan in the oven at 150 °C. Stir occasionally and check there is enough liquid. Add a splash of water or stock if needed.
7. Fry the mushrooms
   While the stew is cooking, heat a knob of butter in a frying pan. Fry the mushrooms over medium-high heat until browned all over and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside until needed.
8. Glaze the onions
   Peel the small onions. Heat the butter in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, sugar, water and a pinch of salt. Put a lid on the pan and gently stew the onions until they have absorbed almost all the liquid. Then remove the lid and let the remaining liquid reduce to a glossy coating around the onions.
9. Finish the dish
   After the cooking time, check the meat: it should be very tender and easy to pull apart. Remove the bouquet garni. Add the fried mushrooms and the glazed onions to the stew and gently warm everything through together for another 10–15 minutes. Taste the sauce and season if needed with extra salt and freshly ground black pepper. If the sauce is too thin, briefly remove the meat and vegetables from the pan, reduce the sauce a little, then return everything to the pan. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water or stock.
10. Serve the boeuf bourguignon
    Just before serving, sprinkle generously with the finely chopped parsley. Serve the boeuf bourguignon with creamy mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes.