Boeuf a la bourguignon with heartshaped croutons
4 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | cups | Dry red wine |
| 2 | cups | Beef stock or canned broth |
| ¼ | cup | Marc de Bourgogne or |
| Good-quality brandy | ||
| 1 | large | Onion, chopped |
| 2 | smalls | Carrots, chopped |
| 4 | Garlic cloves, sliced | |
| 1 | teaspoon | Dried thyme |
| 1 | teaspoon | Dried rosemary |
| 10 | Peppercorns | |
| 12 | Parsley stems | |
| 4 | Whole cloves | |
| 4 | Allspice berries | |
| 1 | Bay leaf | |
| 3 | pounds | Beef chuck, cut into 2 inch |
| Pieces | ||
| Salt and pepper | ||
| ¼ | pounds | Slab bacon (rind removed and |
| Reserved) sliced lengthwise | ||
| ¼ | Inch | |
| Thick, crosswise into pieces | ||
| ½ | Inch wide | |
| 2 | tablespoons | Butter |
| 1 | tablespoon | Oil |
| 1 | tablespoon | Tomato paste |
| 1 | pounds | Pearl onions |
| 4 | tablespoons | Butter |
| pinch | Sugar | |
| 1 | pounds | Button mushrooms |
| Beurre Manie (equal parts | ||
| Flour and softened butter, | ||
| Mixed together, about | ||
| 1 | tablespoon | Each) |
| Heartshaped croutons: | ||
| 6 | slices | Firm white bread, crusts |
| Removed, cut into heart | ||
| Shapes | ||
| 3 | tablespoons | Unsalted butter, melted |
| ¼ | cup | Minced fresh parsley |
Directions
In a large bowl combine marinade ingredients and beef. Chill, covered, overnight. Drain beef, reserving marinade and vegetables separately; pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 275/F. Cover bacon and rind with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Drain. In a large casserole set over moderate heat cook bacon lardons in butter and oil, stirring often, until golden. With a slotted spoon transfer lardons to paper towels to drain.
In casserole over moderately high heat brown beef in bacon fat, in batches. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from casserole. Add reserved vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add reserved marinade liquid, tomato paste, reserved bacon rind and salt and pepper, bring liquid to a boil and cook in oven, covered, 3 hours. Skim fat from stew and drain meat and vegetables, reserving cooking liquid. Return liquid and meat to casserole.
Meanwhile make vegetable garnish: In a skillet cover onions with water, add 1 tablespoon of butter, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer onions until almost tender. Raise heat to high and reduce cooking liquid to 2 tablespoons. Continue to cook onions, shaking pan over heat, until golden brown and glazed. In a skillet set over moderately high heat, melt remaining butter and add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook mushrooms, tossing often, for 7 minutes, or until firm. Add the onions and mushrooms to the casserole. Bring liquid in casserole to a simmer and add enough Beurre Manie, bit by bit, stirring constantly, to lightly thicken sauce.
Make croutons: Brush both sides of bread with melted butter, arrange on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 F. oven until golden brown. Dip edges of bread in Bourguignon sauce and then in parsley.
To serve: spoon meat and vegetables into shallow serving dishes and garnish with croutons.
Yield: 6 servings
TASTE SHOW #TS4664
Marinade: