Mary Berry’s take on the beloved French staple that is beef bourguignon relies on one key ingredient to make the ingredients sing – red wine. A robust bottle of red is the foundation for the most delicious winter stew.
Nothing quite compares to a portion of rich beef stew to banish the cold on a gloomy, wet night, and with the proper guidance, you can create this comforting meal effortlessly. In her Simple Comforts cookbook, the celebrated chef said this meal was “the ultimate comfort stew with a warming intense red wine flavour” that “doesn’t disappoint”.
She maintains that the “secret” to this formula is to concentrate the red wine initially to provide a “lovely richness” to the recipe.
Ingredients
Two tablespoons oil
900g good stewing steak
175g smoked streaky bacon
One large onion, thickly sliced
Two garlic cloves, crushed
450ml red wine
40g flour
Four tablespoons brandy
600ml beef stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
One teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
175g chestnut mushrooms
Butter
12 small raw pickled onions
Two tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Method
Start by preheating the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Dice the bacon into small pieces and add it to the pan along with the onion and garlic, frying until the bacon starts to brown.
In a separate wide-based pan, pour in the wine and boil until it reduces by half.
Dust the flour over the onion mixture and then pour over the reduced wine, the brandy, and half of the stock. Stir until it combines and thickens, then bring it to the boil.
Add the remaining stock, return the meat to the pan, season with salt and pepper and add the thyme.
Bring it to the boil, cover with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven for approximately one and a half to two hours.
When the cooking time is nearly up, halve the mushrooms and fry them over medium heat in another pan with the butter for about two minutes.
Peel the pickling onions and add them to the pan, tossing together. Add the mushrooms and onions to the casserole.
Continue to cook for an additional 40 minutes, or until the meat is completely tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot straight from the oven.
