Beef bourguignon

Ingredients

• 1.5kg/3lb5oz chuck beef or braising steak, cut into 5cm/2in pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 sticks celery, rough chopped
• 2 bottles red burgundy wine
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
• 4 bay leaves
• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
• 225g/8oz whole piece of smoked bacon or pancetta
• 450g/1lb shallots, peeled
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 375g/12oz chestnut mushrooms
• 290ml/½ pint fresh beef stock
• 5 tbsp brandy
• freshly chopped flatleaf parsley

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, thyme, garlic and 2 bay leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

2. Place the beef in a large bowl and pour over the wine marinade. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. This is known as a cook marinade.

3. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Drain the beef from the marinade into a colander over a glass bowl. Reserve the marinade and set aside.

4. Heat 25g/1oz butter and 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the bacon and cook until golden and brown. Add the shallots and transfer to a large casserole dish.

5. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Pat dry the cubes of beef from the marinade mixture using absorbent kitchen paper. Add half of the beef to the pan and cook until brown on all sides. Remove the beef and transfer to the casserole dish with the bacon, shallots and vegetables. Repeat with the remaining beef and add to the casserole dish.

6. Stir in 2-3 large spoonfuls of the reserved marinade mixture to deglaze or remove any sediment from the pan. Pour into the casserole dish.

7. Stir in the plain flour, the remaining marinade mixture and beef stock into the casserole dish.

8. Bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven for 3-3½ hours or until the beef is very tender.

9. Halfway through cooking, heat the remaining oil and butter in a large frying pan and cook the mushrooms until brown. Add the brandy and cook for a few minutes.

10. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish, stir and return to the oven the remaining cooking time.

11. Serve with new potatoes, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley and purple sprouting broccoli.