For those who have seen the Movie, Julie and Julia, the food was such a big hit. Your mouth just watered and this particular recipe had quite a starring role. It is a little time consuming for the preparation, but there is no place I would rather spend the afternoon than in the kitchen. The movie makes it look like you could just taste it so of course I had to get the cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and that was the first recipe I tried. Oh my goodness, the Movie almost didn’t do it justice. Each bite is to savor a taste like no other. We certainly hope you will try this one, it is a keeper.
Boeuf Bourguignon
Beef stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms
For 6 people
A 6-ounce chunk of bacon
Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, ¼ inch thick and 1½ inches long). Simmer rind and the bacon for 10 minutes in 1½ quarts water. Drain and dry.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
A 9-to 10-inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
A slotted spoon
Saute the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reheat casserole until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
3 pounds lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Saute it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
1 sliced carrot (preferably 4 to 5)
1 sliced onion
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in the middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust. Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
3 cups of a full-bodied, young red wine such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Bordeaux-St. Emilion, or Burgundy.
2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 (or more) cloves mashed garlic
½ teaspoon thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
The blanched bacon rind
Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2½ to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
18 to 24 small white onions, brown-braised in stock (recipe follows)
1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms sautéed in butter (recipe follows
While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.
When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have 2½ cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. (*) Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.
For immediate serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.
For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.
Brown-braised Onions
For 18 to 24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter:
1½ tablespoons butter
1½ tablespoons oil
A 9- to 10-inch enameled skillet
When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.
½ cup of brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
Salt and pepper to taste
A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, ½ bay leaf, and ¼ teaspoon thyme tied in cheesecloth
Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.
Sautéed Mushrooms
A 10- to 12-inch enameled skillet
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon oil
1 pound of fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
Other Cooking Sites Online
- Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 2 | Online Shopping Mall
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