One of my first impressions of Paris, when I first went to France many years ago, was that stew they served at some little French café for lunch. I think I just liked the picture on menu - and the calories per euro ratio looked convincing. Pretty important metric when you’re twenty-something, always hungry and never have enough money.
Little did I know back then that it was my first, but definitely not my last, encounter with Boeuf Bourguignon - the king of stews, the crown jewel of French comfort food.
It took me years of trying different recipes, mixing and matching them, before I finally made one I was happy with. It’s simple, but it takes time - and trust me, dads, it’s worth every minute.
Cooking time: 40 minutes and a lot of waiting
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
1kg of good stewing beef, cut into 4cm cumbes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
150g streaky bacon, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped in chunks
1 onion, peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
500ml red wine, get the one you would drink
300ml beef stock, no bouillon cubes please
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp tomato puree
20 pearl onions, tiny ones, that's important
300g champignons, not big ones, otherwise cut in half
sea salt and ground black pepper
flat-leaf parsley, to serve
Steps:
Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F, Gas Mark 2). Lay out the steak pieces on a plate and pat them dry with kitchen paper, then lightly coat each one with a bit of flour.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy, lidded casserole pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat pieces and brown them on all sides until they develop a rich, deep color. Avoid overcrowding the pot - work in batches to get that perfect sear. For the final batch, toss in the bacon and cook until it’s sizzling and golden.
Remove the steak pieces and bacon, and set them aside on a plate. In the same pot, using the leftover meat juices, sauté the onions and carrots until they soften, for 5 minutes, then return the meat to the pot.
Stir in the garlic, then add the steak and bacon back to the pan. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the wine and beef stock, then add the bay leaf and tomato purée. Stir everything together, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and bring it all to a gentle simmer.
Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Let it cook slowly for 3 hours.
About 20 minutes before serving, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the pearl onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes, until they’re soft and golden. Add them to the casserole about 10 minutes before the cooking time is up.
Serve with mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley on top.