Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

I've been meaning to try Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon recipe for the longest time, but was temporarily taken aback because I felt it was too complicated, and prep and cooking time is too long. Besides that, i already had a simpler version (click HERE) that also worked well.

But then, I really got curious so I gave it a go. I told myself while preparing it... "If this does not taste better than my simple one then I'm gonna kill myself!" Nyahahah of course I wouldn't, but I know I'd be disappointed, aside from being dead-tired.

Almost 5 hours later, the results were in.

And... I LOVED IT! We all loved it! Those 5 hours were well worth it!!!!

Recipe can be found in Julia Child's Mastering the art of French Cooking Volume 1.

Love love love it, and I really highly recommend that if you have the time to spare and want to spend it in your kitchen, then try to do this at home. No regrets!

Julia Child Boeuf Bourguignon

• 6 ounces bacon
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
• 3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 sliced carrot
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
• 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• Crumbled bay leaf
• Blanched bacon rind
• 18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock (see recipe below)
• 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter (see recipe below)
• Parsley sprigs

Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers
very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms (SEE BELOW). Set them aside until needed.

When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Brown-Braised Onions and Prepared Mushrooms

• For the onion, if using frozen, make sure they are defrosted and drained.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
• Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart.
• Pour in the stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover.
• Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
• Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.
• For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet.
• As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes.
• As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Sole Meuniere

I was meaning to post this recipe after I watched Julie & Julia but got lazy and was unable to do so. Hahahah. Now that I am making this again for dinner, plus I've got the time, here I am posting the recipe!

Sole Meuniere

Ingredients
4 sole fillets, skinned
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1 lemon juice plus lemon zest
Salt
Fresh black pepper
Finely chopped flat leaf parsley or parsley flakes

• Season fillets with salt and pepper. 
• Spread the flour in a plate. Dredge fillets in flour, shaking off any excess flour.
• In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. 
• Once the butter starts to brown (but not yet, and bubbles form slowly instead of fast), add a sole fillet, two if the skillet is large enough. 
• Cook over medium / high heat for 3-5 minutes. 
• Turn the fish carefully. 
• Add half of your lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. lemon zest to the pan. Cook fish an additional 2 minutes.
• Set aside cooked fillets and keep them warm. Do this for the rest of the fillets. 
• Melt the remaining butter in the skillet. When brown, remove from heat and pour over the sole fillets.

To serve, sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon slices. Serve immediately.

Sole Meuniere is excellent in combination with potatoes or rice.

Wine Suggestion: Dry white wine or Reisling.

Mussels in White Wine

Got this from Barefoot in Paris. You should try this simple French meal. Serve toasted sourdough with it (topped with butter, minced garlic, drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper then pop into the oven) and use the bread to mop up the juices. I also served it with my favorite Squash soup recipe.



Mussels in White Wine

Ingredients
3 pounds mussels
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots (5 to 7 shallots) -- but I didn't have any so I just used 1 large white onion
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes, drained (4 ounces) -- I used fresh ripevine tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon good saffron threads
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup good white wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To clean the mussels, put them in a large bowl with 2 quarts of water and the flour and soak for 30 minutes, or until the mussels disgorge any sand. Drain the mussels, then remove the "beard" from each with your fingers. If they're dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. Discard any mussels whose shells aren't tightly shut.

In a large non-aluminum stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

Add the mussels, stir well, then cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the mussels are opened (discard any that do not open). With the lid on, shake the pot once or twice to be sure the mussels don't burn on the bottom. Pour the mussels and the sauce into a large bowl and serve hot.

Coq au Vin

Try this really easy chicken meal during these cold days. I got this from Nigella's book Nigella's Express, but tweaked it a bit - eg., instead of using ordinary bacon, I used Canadian bacon for less fat.



Serve this with noodles or with bread. Enjoy!


COQ AU VIN

Ingredients
500 grams boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup diced bacon (I used Canadian bacon)
1 Tbsp Garlic-infused oil (you can do this by cooking garlic in olive oil, then set aside for a while, then take out the garlic)
2 cups oyster mushrooms, torn
1 leek, sliced
2 pcs bay leaf
1/2 bottle dry French White Wine or Riesling (or any white wine)
1/2 cup fresh chopped dill

Heat oil and cook the bacon. Add the leeks and cook until soft. Add the chicken and brown a bit, before adding the bay leaf, mushrooms, and wine. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Sprinkle with deal when serving.

Nigella mentioned that this meal is best served the day after it's cooked, after it being re-heated over. Too hungry to wait the next day, but this meal tasted really fantastic.

Salad Nicoise

Here's one salad that I love doing. Needs extra time for preparation but good enough for lunch or dinner. Got this from Barefoot Contessa's show, but tweaked it a bit.



Salad Nicoise

Ingredients
1 Block Tuna fillet - sashimi grade (about 1 inch thick)
Arugula leaves or baby romaines (I use this)
2 Eggs
1 cup olives (dark or green, I used green)
1/4 kilo (or less) french beans
1/4 kilo baby potatoes
2-3 vine or salad tomatoes (I used the seedless variety) - diced into big chunks
1/4 cup capers (optional)
2 tbsp white wine
Salt and pepper

For the vinaigrette
3 tbsp champagne vinegar
3 tbsp dijon mustard
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Boil baby potatoes, eggs and beans together. After 1 minute, take out the beans and put in a bowl with cold water to "shock" it and stop the cooking process. After a couple of minutes, take out the eggs - make sure it's cooked (hard-boiled). Leave the potatoes until cooked. Strain and bring back the pan to the stove top and heat a bit to remove excess water. Let the potatoes cool, then pierce with fork. Add the white wine and let the potatoes soak for a bit. Remove the beans from the cold water and set aside. Now the eggs... cut them with an egg cutter (or just slice them yourself).

Mix together the ingredients of the vinaigrette and adjust depending on your taste preference. Pour a little over the potatoes, mix, and set aside.

In a salad bowl (also nice if it's a little "flat") put first the leaves. Then arrange the other veggies and what have you's: beans, tomatoes, olives, capers (if you prefer), potatoes, and eggs. Leave a small space in the middle for the tuna.

Season the tuna with salt and pepper and sear it in a very hot pan. After one minute, turn it over. After 1 minute, take it out of the pan. This leaves you with a cooked outside and sashimi-like rawness inside. If you do not prefer your tuna to be too raw, cook an additional minute on each side. Slice the tuna and add it into the salad bowl. Drizzle with some vinaigrette and leave some for serving.

I had this for dinner, along with toasted whole-wheat baguette (baked with butter, garlic, olive oil, and topped with basil ribbons).

Enjoy!

Reliving the La Regalade Experience

My friend and I had dinner at La Regalade a couple of weeks back, and though it was a little expensive (at least that's what I think), food was really good. I couldn't get over the Beef Bourguignon that we had, so I tried to make one for dinner.

I checked out a couple of recipes (especially that of Ina Garten's) but decided to mix the two ways of cooking it - both by Cook Like A Chef (I watched it on Asian Food Channel) and by Barefoot Contessa (watched in Lifestyle Network). I really wanted to relive the dinenr we had (French Onion Soup, Beef Bourguignon with Potato Gratin - must eat!), but I was too lazy to make the soup and gratin. I just settled for baked baby potatoes to serve on the side.




Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients
1/2 kilo beef fillets, cut 1 inch thick
3 pcs Canadian bacon, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, diced (or if you prefer, cut diagonally, 1 inch thick)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups Burgundy wine
2 cups beef stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tbsp tomato paste
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 kilo mushrooms (I used shiitake), cut 1/4 inch thick
1/4 kilo pearl onions (I didn't have this)
Salt and pepper to taste


Heat your pan , add the oil. When hot, saute the onions and potatoes first. When a little tender, add the garlic. Be careful not to brown them too much. Add the wine and thyme and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool a bit. Add the beef and marinade for at least one hour - the longer the better.

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F. In a skillet, cook the bacon until slightly brown. Set aside. After marinating, take out the beef from the pan and dry them with kitchen towel or kitchen napkin. In the same skillet, sear the beef on all sides then set aside.

Bring back the pan (with the wine marinade) on the stove and heat. Add the beef stock, beef, bacon, and tomato paste. Stir a bit, cover, and put into the oven for around 1 hour.

When nearing 1 hour, mix together the butter and flour and stir into the stew. Add the pearl onion.

Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

Serve with baby potatoes (baked or just boiled - drizzle with olive oil). Enjoy!!!