When I was growing up, my parents would take me out for dinner from an early age, (starting around 9), where I was introduced to lots of good food and bistro classics. I especially remember Coq Au Vin at a local restaurant, cooked for hours until falling off the bone and a meal of chicken braised in Vodka followed by chocolate mousse with brandy that was so good I was allowed to eat two! I think it was partly that my parents wanted to go out and not deliver me to my grandmothers every Saturday and partly because they could see how much I appreciated food and eating at restaurants and so probably enjoyed watching me tuck in to such adult tastes at such a young age.
My mum and dad would recreate some of the absolute classics at home and I make them also, albeit sporadically now mainly because I forget all about them. For me, the ones I really love are: the afore mentioned Coq Au Vin, Beef Bourguignon, Chicken Chasseur, Beef Stroganoff and Beef Goulash. Dishes from all over the world and probably considered very naff and unfashionable in a 1970's sort of way. Whatever. They are really tasty and I love them and intend to make them all in a section devoted to them in this blog. So, bistro classics 1 : Beef Bourguignon (sort of). (I know, I've mucked around with the recipes a bit to reflect what I had in the apartment). This is a gorgeous casserole type dish with big, tender chunks of seared and braised beef with a glossy, wine-y sauce, both sweet and slightly bitter. My recipe is by no means authentic, here's a link to Julia Child's version if you really want this beauty on your dinner table.
First up, though, I must mention the goggles which are pictured above. Bought from a local treasure trove of all things foodie called The Gourmet Warehouse, they are meant to stop the stinging and crying eyes associated with chopping onions. My husband actually bought them for cycling, to stop the wind making his eyes water and impairing his vision, but we share them for double duty. They really work! I can easily peel and chop pounds of onions and shallots and not shed a tear. I may get a little nose twitch but no stinging in the eyes whatsoever. A piece of equipment that really helps with a difficult task. They cover the eyes and surrounding area completely so that no aroma can get through, a little like snow-boarding or snorkeling goggles, which I know some people find useful for the same task.
So, for Beef bourguignon, start with 2 shallots, peeled and chopped in half, 1 red onion, peeled and quartered, 2 sticks of celery, sliced, 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled, 3 pieces Prosciutto, chopped and 2 carrots, peeled and sliced. Set aside for now, you have to deal with the meat first..
I used some of the goose fat saved from the Christmas goose to braise the meat and vegetables. It gave a deeply savoury base note.
Neil and I have decided to abstain from alcohol for the whole of January to give our booze weary bodies a break, so are left with lots of bottles both full and half drunk from Christmas. This was the initial inspiration for me to make this dish, using the left over red wine and some Marsala.
Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp goose fat in a frying pan and saute 1 lb of stewing beef for about 5 minutes either side until dark brown. Don't crowd the pan, do it in several batches.
Until it looks like this...
Place into a slow cooker or heavy duty pan and then add the vegetables chopped from earlier to the frying pan, stirring them well to collect all the juices in the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add these to the slow cooker or pan. Pour in 1/4 cup red wine, 1/4 cup dry marsala and 2 cups beef stock OR 1 whole bottle of red wine and 1/4 cup beef stock. Add a bay leaf, 1 tsp salt and some rosemary or thyme sprigs and cook gently for several hours, (If using a slow cooker, cook on low for about 4 - 5 hours or about 2 - 3 hours over low heat on the hob). Add some mushrooms if you like also. After the cooking time is up, remove the meat and vegetables from the pan and reduce the sauce by about 2/3 until syrupy. Add a little butter to make it glossy and a little more salt if you think it needs it. (With a slow cooker, pour the sauce into a saucepan and bubble over high heat until reduced).
I cooked some leeks to accompany this, having being inspired by my Jamie Oliver leeks at Christmas. I shredded one leek and let it sweat gently in olive oil and butter for about 30 minutes, adding some sliced kale, 1/2 tsp salt and a splash of water after 20 minutes or so. It continued to cook gently until soft and all the liquid evaporated.
Neil had some plain mashed potato with his, some butter and milk being slowly added until it was creamy and as light as a cloud. The perfect pairing to absorb all the wine-y, meaty juices, as would be a piece of crusty bread to mop it all up. (Usually, we do have a slice of bread with any left over gravy, turning the bread over to ensure it is completely saturated).
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