Last week, before I went to the British Library, I impulse bought Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Almost every time I go to a book store, I look at Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I hold it in my hand and I think about buying it. Julia Child is an iconic American cook and it feels like this book is one of those books you’re supposed to have if you are a cooking enthusiast. But, I never buy it. I never buy the book because usually it’s a gigantic hardcover and costs a ton of money and will be frustrating to lug home. However, that day in the book store they had both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a slim paperback form. The book was inexpensive, the size of novel, and would easily fit into my purse.
I had a quick internal debate with myself. It went something like this: This is a good deal, I should buy it. Should I buy it? No, I have enough cookbooks. But this is not just any cookbook. It’s Julia Child’s cookbook. And it’s so small and a good price. Should I get both volumes? No, then I’ll definitely have too many and both won’t qualify as an impulse buy. I’ll get just the one. What if it’s written with European measurements since I’m buying it in London? Whew, no it’s not. Ok I’ll get it. Should I check on Amazon to see if I get a better deal? No, if I do that I’ll definitely talk myself out of this. Ok, let’s buy it.
Does all of that back and forth make me sound neurotic? Maybe. But, now I had the book and it was time to start cooking. No surprise, the book is really nice. The tone is straightforward but helpful and encouraging in the notes and directions. There are tables for weight and temperature conversions, helpful illustrations, and information on what types of tools to use.
I decided to start with beef bourguignon, in part because it sounds delicious, and in part because in the movie Julie and Julia it looks so decadent. Honestly though, I have no idea how Julie Powell ever cooked through this book because some of these recipes take a really long time! Like this one, it takes all day. You should eat lunch while making this, and not just have an ice cream cone. If you just have an ice cream cone you’ll be ravenous by the time this is done. I may or may not have done that. But I’m an adult, I can have ice cream for breakfast if I want to.
Truly, this stew is a lazy Sunday kind of meal because it takes over three hours to prepare. In the end it’s worth it, because all that time creates a complex and layered broth that is so lovely. The meat becomes tender, the onions soft and herbal in flavor, and the mushrooms (which I usually hate) have a nice silky texture.
Recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle. Also, a warning, this recipe has two mini-recipes within the larger recipe.
Messy level: I found this one hard to quantify. You can definitely reuse pots and pans in this recipe. And, while the stew is in the oven for 3 hours, there is plenty of time for leisurely clean up. However, even though my kitchen didn’t look like a disaster at the end of cooking, I know I used a lot of knives, cutting boards, pots, pans, and general utensils. Even just writing out the instructions, I was exhausted by the amount of dishes needed. I just had to give this four spoons.
- 6 oz streaky bacon (you can also buy this pre-cut into lardons)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pounds lean stew beef, cut in 2 inch cubes
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 oz flour (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1¼ pints (about 3 cups), red wine (I used Chianti)
- ¾ pint (slightly less than 2 cups), beef stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf, crumbled
- 18 small onions (about 1" long)
- 1 oz butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¼ pint (slightly more than ½ cup) beef stock or dry wine (red or white, I used white)
- salt and pepper
- 4 parsley sprigs
- ½ bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- 2 oz butter
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms, cut in quarters
- Cut bacon into lardons (sticks ¼x1½" long)
- Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Add the bacon to the simmering water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and dry.
- Preheat oven to 450/230°.
- In a saucepan, saute the bacon in oil over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes. This is to brown them slightly.
- Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.
- Make sure the fat is still hot, then add the beef a few pieces at a time. Cook until browned on all sides.
- Remove beef from fat and put with the bacon.
- In the same fat, now cook the vegetables until browned.
- Put the bacon, beef, and vegetables in a large casserole dish. Season with the salt and pepper, then mix.
- Now sprinkle with the flour and mix again to lightly coat everything in flour.
- Place casserole in the oven for 4 minutes.
- Remove from oven, mix the meat again. Return to the oven for 4 more minutes.
- Remove casserole from the oven, and turn it down to 325/160°.
- Stir in the wine. Then add enough beef stock so the meat is just covered.
- Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs.
- Cover the casserole, and place in the oven.
- Cook for 3-4 hours. The meat is done when a fork can easily piece it.
- While the beef is cooking, first prepare the brown-braised onions. Peel the onions (you can do this straight away or by putting them into boiling water for 10 seconds, then it's easier)
- In a large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil. Heat until the fat is bubbling a bit.
- Add the onions and saute over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Roll the onions around so they brown as evenly as possible.
- Then, pour in the liquid (stock or wine). Add the herbs (parsley, thyme, and bay leaf) to the liquid.
- Cover the pan and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 40-50 minutes. The onions are done when they are tender but aren't mushy, and the liquid has evaporated.
- Next start on the sautéed mushrooms. Clean out the frying pan you used for the onions. Heat up the butter and oil over high heat. Once the butter is done foaming, add the mushrooms.
- Toss the mushrooms for about 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are starting to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Ok your meat is finally done! Using a sieve, or a slotted spoon, separate the meat and vegetables from the broth.
- Put the broth in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Skim off the fat. Heat the broth until it lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- Plate the beef and vegetables. Pour the broth over meat. Eat!
