BEEF BOURGUIGNONNE

Ingredients
6 oz streaky bacon in one piece
2½ pints of water
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3lb stewing steak cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons flour
1½ pints French red wine
16 fl. Oz beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, crushed
½ teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Onions
1½ tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
18 small onions
5 fl. Oz red wine
Bouquet garn, parsley, thyme and bay leaf
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
1 lb mushrooms quartered

Preheat the oven to Gas mark8 (450°F).

With a sharp knife cut off the bacon rind and reserve it. Cut the bacon into strips ¼ inch thick and 1½ inches long. Put the bacon in a saucepan and cover with 2½ pints of water, bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the bacon and dry.

Heat the olive oil in a large casserole and add the bacon strips. Cook them for 3 minutes, turning several times until brown all over. Remove the bacon and set aside.

Reheat the fat in the casserole until very hot and then add the beef cubes. Cook until brown all over. Remove from heat and put aside with the bacon. Add the sliced carrot and onion to the same fat and sauté quickly over moderate heat for five minutes.

Pour away the fat and return bacon and beef to the casserole and add the salt and pepper. Sprinkle in the flour and toss the meat to cover it with flour.

Put the casserole in middle of medium oven and cook for 8 minutes tossing occasionally. Remove the casserole and reduce oven temperature to gas mark 3 (325°F).

Stir the wine, beef stock, bouquet garni, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and bacon rind into the casserole, bring to the boil the place in the lower part of the oven and cook for 4 hours.

To cook the onions, heat 1½ tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, add the onions and fry them for 10 minutes stirring occasionally until brown on all sides. Pour in the red wine, add the salt and pepper, reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 40 minutes until tender. Remove bouquet garni and put onions aside.

To cook the mushrooms heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in frying pan, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the meat is tender strain the casserole liquid into a saucepan, skim any fat from the liquid and bring to boil to reduce and thicken the sauce. Put the onions and mushrooms into the casserole with the meat, discard bay leaf and bouquet garni then pour the thickened sauce over the meat and vegetables. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.