Classic beef bourguignon at the NGV
Each country has recipes that have been around forever. Combinations that are regional and absolutely perfect. Boeuf Bourguignon never goes out of style.
For me, there is always a correlation between classical music and classic recipes. New music trends come and go, but music composed with sound technique and a dash of brilliance and genius stays with us for centuries. The correlation to recipes is that we sometimes overlook classic dishes as outdated. Yet each country has recipes that have been around forever. Combinations that were regional, seasonal and absolutely perfect. So perfect, they are still in the culinary repertoire centuries later.
Some other delicious recipes you may love:
- Easy as pie: the beef, beer and mushroom favourite
- David Herbert’s roast rib of wagyu beef
- Icebergs’ steak tartare: dare to DIY?
I like to cook my Boeuf Bourguignon in the style of pièce de bœuf à la bourguignonne, where I braise a piece of beef in the oven and slice it and sauce it, as opposed to cutting the meat into chunks and stewing it on top of the stove. I then assemble the sauce with all its classic accompaniments and thicken it with the carrot purée. There should be enough sauce left over to enjoy with poached eggs on toast and tart green salad for a little lunch snack later in the week, while enjoying a lunchtime concert on the wireless.
RECIPE: Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 60ml grape seed oil
- 750g oyster blade of beef (any braising beef, such as rump, topside or chuck steak is fine)
- 1 carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 celery stalk with leaves, halved lengthwise and sliced
- ½ leek, halved lengthwise and sliced
- ½ onion, chopped
- 3 French shallots, halved
- 5 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 150g kaiserfleich (or pancetta) cut into lardons
- 250ml red wine
- 125ml beef or veal stock
- Salt and pepper
- 150g button mushrooms
- ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Carrot puree
- 3 carrots
- Salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 150C. Heat half the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides. Remove the beef from the pan, leaving the oil, and add the carrot, celery, leek, onion. Sauté for 5-8 minutes. Add the red wine, boil for a couple of minutes and then add the stock. Bring to the boil again.
- Place the beef in a deep baking dish. Pour on the liquid. Stir in the thyme, bay leaves and shallots, season with salt and pepper and cover with baking paper and foil. Place the baking tray in the oven and cook until tender, about 4-5 hours. While the meat is cooking, prepare the mushrooms, kaiserfleich and shallots.
- Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan and sauté off the keiserfleich until coloured. Lift out onto draining paper. Add the mushrooms to the pan and then sauté until nutty brown, season. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare the carrot puree by boiling the carrots with salt until just soft. Puree. When the meat is cooked, remove from the cooking liquor, and set aside, covered, and warm. Strain the liquid and remove as much fat as you can from the cooking liquor and place in a heavy frying pan. Add the kaiserfleich, mushrooms and shallots, bring to the boil and then add the carrot purée.
- Slice the meat onto some creamy mashed potato and then ladle over the sauce.
- Sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley.
RECIPE: Creamy mashed potato
Ingredients
- 500g potatoes for mashing (choose a high-starchy variety such as King Edward)
- 100g unsalted butter
- 100g double cream
Method
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into even-sized pieces (not too small). Put them in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and add a little salt. Bring the potatoes to the boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender but not overcooked. Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for 1-2 minutes. Mash the potatoes then stir in the butter and cream while the potato is still hot. Serves 3-4
Annie Smithers is collaborating with the NGV Garden Restaurant on a French farmhouse menu this winter in conjunction with the NGV’s Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi. Until October 8