|
This Week in Books
It was my intention to be reviewing The Conquerors - How Portugal Forged The First Global Empire.However, I did not receive my copy until last Tuesday. I am shy of a quarter of the way through, sailing with Vasco de Gama. So far, I am enjoying it, but obviously I cannot review it this week. So, I am going to share my favorite part of my most re-read book. The French Recipe Cookbook Carole Clements & Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen Anness Publishing Limited, 1995 Boeuf Bourguignon, Page 158
It is a time of year when there are many potluck or bring a dish to dinner events, which means casserole season. This is an excellent alternative that can be made a day in advance, even tasting better as the ingredients get to know each other. I will put comments in after each step. Cut the beef into 2 inch pieces and dice the salt pork or cut the bacon into thin strips. Save yourself a half hour and buy the meat already cut, and use kitchen shears to cut the bacon. In a large heavy flameproof casserole, cook the pork or bacon over medium heat until golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Pour off all but 2 tbsp. of the fat. You are rendering fat here, not so much cooking the bacon, so low and slow. I prefer to keep all the fat, to make a heartier meal, so save enough to coat the pan to help brown the beef. If you pour it all out, substitute butter or oil. I use a large pan I can put directly from the burner to the oven. Increase heat to medium-high. Add enough meat to the pan to fit easily in one layer (do not crowd the pan or the meat will not brown) and cook, turning to color all sides, until well browned. Transfer the beef to a plate and continue browning the meat in batches. This will all go into the oven; if the pan you are browning with is not what will go into the oven, the browned meat can go right to your ovenware. In a heavy frying pan, melt one-third of the butter over medium heat, add the pearl onions and cook, stirring frequently, until evenly golden. Set aside on a plate. Now, I disagree. The onions and mushrooms should be added to the stew towards the end of the cooking to preserve their respective textures and flavors. Skip this step for now and come back after placing your ovenware. In the same pan, melt half of the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden, then set aside with the pearl onions. As I said, skip for now and get the beef in the oven, it will save you thirty minutes. When all the beef has been browned, pour off any fat from the casserole and add the remaining butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion, carrot, and garlic and cook over medium for 3-4 minutes until just softened, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the flour and cook for 2 minutes, then add the wine, tomato paste and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, scraping the base of the pan. This is a good time to quote the book: Tradition dictates that you should use the same wine in this stew that you plan to serve with it, but a less expensive full-bodied wine will do for cooking. The stew reheats very well. Just so long as the chef is able to drink it. Oh, and don't overcook the garlic. You can make your own bouquet garni using cheesecloth, though I am sure they can be bought, and there are pre-made empty packets similar to tea bags. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and pour on the broth, adding more if needed to cover the meat and vegetables when pressed down. Cover the casserole and simmer very gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3 hours or until the meat is very tender. Add the sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions and cook, covered, for 30 minutes more. Discard the bouquet garni and stir in the parsley before serving. See, three hours to prep and sauté the onions and mushrooms. When I made that adjustment I cut my prep-to-oven time thirty minutes. And yes - fresh parsley, the dried stuff does not do it. I have made many adjustments, such as trying different wines and using coarse cut onion instead of pearl onions, but my favorite is cutting the carrots into circles instead of dicing. Saves prep time, and gives the stew a different appearance. It serves well on its own, and also serves well over mashed potatoes or rice. I have never done it, but I do not see why it could not be made in a large crock pot. Leaving the fat in serves us (two adults and one child) three meals, all of the fat out is two meals, in between is in between. The book itself is large, with full color pictures, a nice introduction, and is organized as one would expect. It claims over 200 recipes and everything I have made has been good, and fun to expand upon - the Apple Tart (page 188) I have used different kinds of apples and/or pears. After the Desserts Chapter, which a person can get lost in and includes sorbet and crepe recipes, is a Basics which covers stocks and sauces and pastry. For fun, I looked up this recipe in my grandmother's Time Life French food book, 1968, and it pairs almost exactly with this one. Not necessarily the case with others, where the olde school calls for ingredients many consider unhealthy, such as the use of lard. Link is to Amazon's 1995 edition, there is also a 1998 reprint. Posted by: swksvolFF 2015-12-13 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=438421 |