Recipe

Classic Beef Bourguignon

So much more than just a beef stew, boeuf à la Bourguignonne, is an iconic French recipe known for its rich and warming flavour.

May 18, 2020 2:00pm
  • 3 hrs cooking
  • Serves 6
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Ingredients

Beef bourguignon
  • 350 gram shallots
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 kilogram gravy beef, trimmed, chopped coarsely
  • 30 gram butter
  • 4 bacon rashers (280g), rind removed, chopped coarsely
  • 400 gram mushrooms, halved
  • 2 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 cup (35g) plain flour
  • 1 1/4 cup (310ml) beef stock
  • 2 1/2 cup (625ml) dry red wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

Beef bourguignon
  • 1
    Peel shallots, leaving root end intact so shallot remains whole during cooking.
  • 2
    Heat oil in large flameproof casserole dish; cook beef, in batches, until browned.
  • 3
    Heat butter in same dish; cook shallots, bacon, mushrooms and garlic, stirring, until shallots are browned lightly.
  • 4
    Sprinkle flour over shallot mixture; cook, stirring, until flour mixture thickens and bubbles. Gradually add stock and wine; stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens. Return beef and any juices to dish, add bay leaves and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, about 2 hours or until beef is tender, stirring every 30 minutes.
  • 5
    Stir in parsley; discard bay leaves just before serving.

Notes

A French classic, this dish was favoured dinner-party fare 20 or 30 years ago and, thanks to the resurgence in popularity of rich and rustic comfort food, it has now reappeared on restaurant menus and in the repertoire of the keen home cook. Shallots, also called french shallots, golden shallots or eschalots, are small, elongated members of the onion family that grow in tight clusters similarly to garlic.

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