Thanks to the film Julie & Julia now every time the classic French dish boeuf bourginon is mentioned all I can think of is Julia Child. Although this dish was a regular in mom’s repertoire, I have had to consult Mastering the Art of French Cooking to make sure this comfort food classic would get the approval of Mrs Child. It’s a rich and deeply flavoured dish, which sings comfort and is ideal for cold winter weekends. This recipe is from my cookbook HomeCooked.
900g chuck steak cut into 3cm cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
150g streaky bacon, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
500ml red wine
300ml beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp tomato puree
Sea salt and ground black pepper
18 pearl onions or small shallots, peeled
300g button mushrooms, wiped and left whole
Good handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve