John's Recipe of the Month

Boeuf à la Bourguignonne or Beef Burgundy

Serves 6

• 1 k good stewing beef (rump is great for this dish) - cut into chunky pieces
• 150 g streaky bacon – cut into strips. Use lardons if in France
• 50 g butter
• 1 tbs sunflower oil
• 3 med red onions – peeled and cut into thickish wedges
• 2 med carrots – peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 clvs fresh garlic – peeled and sliced in half
• 6/8 bay leaves
• 1½ tbs tomato puree
• 750 ml Burgundy red wine
• 3 tbs Cognac
• 1 tsp ‘Epices du Chef’ Traditional French sea salt mix

Set your oven to 150°C/Gas 3

1Put half the butter and all the sunflower oil into a flame proof casserole dish and brown the onions and bacon over a medium heat. Take care not to burn them. When they brown all over remove from the pan and set to one side.

2Put the meat in to the same casserole and brown, pour the cognac into a metal ladle, warm and light, pour over the meat and allow to burn out. Return the bacon and onion mix to the casserole and blend together, season with the ‘Traditional French’ mix and add the wine, mix well. Add the carrots, bay leaves and garlic cloves, cover with the lid and place in the lower centre of the oven and cook slowly for at least 2½ hours*. Check occasionally and stir.

3Melt the remaining butter and brown the mushrooms gently, add the tomato puree and blend together. About 20 minutes before serving add the mushrooms and tomato puree mix to the casserole, blend well and return to the oven for the remaining time.

4Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve straight from the casserole with boiled new potatoes.

5A good red burgundy is the wine to drink with this traditional dish - I would drink a Côte de Beaune or similar.

* This a dish that can be cooked for ages, when we do this we cook it slowly all day. If you do this check frequently to make sure that the juices and liquid don’t dry up.