Beef Bourguignon Jamie Oliver Recipes

SLOW COOKER BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Turn the slow cooker to low and heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Season the meat and fry for 3-4 mins in batches until browned all over, scooping out each batch with a slotted spoon and transferring the browned meat to a plate.
• Tip the onion, carrot and celery into the pan and fry for 5-10 mins until soft. Add the herbs and flour and cook for another 2 mins. Pour a splash of the wine into a bowl, then add the stock cube, sugar and tomato purée and mix to form a paste. Scrape the paste into the onion mix and pour in the remaining wine. Bring the mixture to a bubble, then transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in the browned beef, topping up with a splash of water to cover the meat if needed. Simmer on low for 6-8 hrs until the meat is falling apart but still holding its shape.
• About 35 mins before serving, heat the remaining oil in a pan. Fry the bacon, shallots and mushrooms for 5-8 mins until caramelised and the veg is starting to soften, then tip into the slow cooker. Simmer the stew gently on high for 30 mins. If you want a thicker gravy, use the reduce function or leave the stew uncovered. Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread, if you like.

BEEF TAGINE

Steps:

• Mix all the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
• Put the beef into a large bowl, massage it with the spice rub, then cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for a couple of hours, preferably overnight.
• When you're ready to cook, peel and finely chop the onion, and pick the coriander leaves, finely chopping the stalks.
• Heat a generous lug of oil in a tagine or casserole pan over a medium heat, add the meat and fry for 5 minutes to seal. Add the onion and coriander stalks and fry for a further 5 minutes.
• Drain and tip in the chickpeas, followed by the tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon, then pour in 400ml of stock and stir well. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce to a low heat for 1½ hours.
• Meanwhile, deseed and chop the squash into 5cm chunks, then destone and roughly tear the prunes. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan until lightly golden, then tip into a bowl.
• When the time's up, add the squash, prunes and remaining stock. Give everything a gentle stir, then pop the lid back on and continue cooking for another 1½ hours. Keep an eye on it, adding splashes of water, if needed.
• At this stage, remove the lid and check the consistency. If it seems a bit too runny, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, more with the lid off - the beef should be really tender and flaking apart now, so have a taste and season to taste.
• Scatter the coriander leaves over the tagine along with the toasted almonds. Serve with a big bowl of lightly seasoned couscous and dive in.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof saucepan and fry the beef over medium heat until lightly browned on all sides. You will probably have to do this in two batches. Make sure to remove the first batch with a slotted spoon and set it aside in a bowl, as it will release a lot of juice while it sits. When all the meat is browned, return it to the pan with the butter. Once the butter has melted, coat the meat with it and add the flour. Cook the flour through for 3-4 minutes, stirring the meat constantly, until it starts to look biscuit-coloured. Season with pepper and a little salt. Add the wine and stock to the pan, along with the garlic, bouquet garni and cinnamon sticks (if using). Scrape the pan to make sure that all the little bits on the bottom become part of the sauce. Put the lid on the casserole and place in the middle of the oven for 2½ hours. Towards the end of cooking time, peel the shallots or baby onions by putting them in a small bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Drain after 1 minute and peel. The skins will slip off in one go, saving you 45 minutes and chipping your nail polish! After the 2½ hours' cooking, add the prepared shallots and carrots to the casserole and cook for another 45 minutes with the lid on. Add the mushrooms and cook for a final 15 minutes. The dish will have had 3/4 hours of cooking time in total. Taste and season the sauce. Remove the bouquet garni and cinnamon sticks. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley. I like to have this with Light Mashed Potato or Pommes de Terre Sautées and Haricots Verts à l'Ail. Cooking Tips: If you can't find baby carrots, simply replace them with full-sized ones cut into thin slices. The smaller ones are sweeter, however, and I think the sauce benefits from this. The cinnamon is optional (and not at all French), but I have added it because it lends a subtle depth of flavour to the beef and red wine, and isn't identifiable as cinnamon exactly. It just works. When you're cutting the fat in recipes, it's crucial to keep the flavour elements really strong so that you don't feel that you're in any way missing out. 362 calories per serving.