Beef Bourguignon

Method

1. Cut the beef into 2.5cm chunks. Pop it in a bowl along with the salt and freshly-ground black pepper and give it a good mix to season the meat well. Cover with a clean tea towel and allow it to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

2. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Wash, trim and peel the carrots and cut them into large chunks, about the same size as the pieces of beef. Preheat your oven to 160° Celsius.

3. Heat a heavy casserole dish over high heat. Add half of the lardons and reduce the heat to medium. Put the remaining uncooked lardons back in the fridge. You will cook those off and add them to the dish just before you serve. Fry the lardons until they are crisp and golden. Keep an eye on them and reduce the heat if required to prevent them burning. When they are done, remove from the pan using a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the casserole, and set aside.

4. Increase the heat under the pan. When the bacon fat starts to smoke, reduce the heat to medium and add some of the beef, just enough to cover the base of the pan in a single layer but leaving rom between the pieces. Take care not to crowd the pan or the juices flowing from the meat will boil the beef as opposed to browning it. Cook the beef until it is well browned all over, then transfer it to a plate. Repeat until you have browned all the beef.

5. If there are any juices from the meat left in the pan once you have finished browning it all, remove them with a spoon and set aside. Do not throw the juices out as there will be lots of flavour there that you can add back to the casserole in a short while.

6. Next, add a splash of olive oil to the pan and fry the chopped onions until they are soft and translucent — about seven to eight minutes should do it. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the carrots and the tomato puree and stir, cooking for just a minute or two.

7. Now add the flour, stirring it in well and cook for one further minute. Do not be freaked out if the flour looks clumpy and messy at this stage, the wine will take care of that very soon.

8. Pour in the bottle of wine and add the bay leaves and the sprig of thyme. Stir the pot well, scraping off any browned bits from the base of the pan. The flour will dissolve into the wine as you stir. Add the beef, and any reserved cooking juices, as well the cooked lardons. Stir to cover the beef in the wine and bring to a soft boil.

9. Pop on the lid and place the dish in your preheated oven. Cook for two to two and half hours until the meat is tender and fall-apart soft. The sauce will have reduced down quite a bit and become thick and glossy. If it looks like it needs a bit more liquid, add 250ml of good quality beef stock and stir that in.

10. When you are almost ready to serve your beef bourguignon, heat a nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add the remaining lardons, reduce the heat to medium and fry until they are crisp and golden. Remove and set aside. If you have cooked the casserole a day earlier, warm the beef bourguignon over a medium heat.

11. Clean and quarter the chestnut mushrooms while the lardons are frying. Add those to the same pan used to fry the lardons, along with a tablespoon of olive oil, a half teaspoon of flaky sea salt and a good grind of black pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are beautiful browned and stir in the silverskin onions. Pop on a lid and cook for two to three minutes.

12. Add the mushrooms and onions to the casserole dish along with a good handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and the cooked lardons. Stir to combine and you are ready to plate up.

13. Serve in warm bowls over a generous dollop of creamy mashed potato with some more chopped flat leaf parsley scattered over the top.