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1
Bouquet garni: Tie in a square of damp cheesecloth: 1 carrot (quartered), 1 celery top, 1 dry bay leaf, 1 or 2 parsley sprigs, and 1 fresh thyme sprig (or 1 teaspoon dry thyme).
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2
Prepare bouquet garni; set side.
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3
Melt butter in a large, heavy pan over medium heat.
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4
Add onions and bacon; cook, stirring often, until onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
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5
lift out onions and bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
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6
Add beef to pan, a portion at a time (do not crowd pan).
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7
Cook, turning as needed, until well browned on all sides.
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8
If using brandy, move pan into an open area, away from exhaust fans and flammable items.
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9
Add brandy to pan and ignite; shake or tilt pan until flame dies.
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10
Return all meat to pan; add burgundy, garlic, mushrooms, the 1 1/2 cups water, bouquet garni, onions, and bacon.
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11
Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is tender when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours.
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12
With a slotted spoon, transfer meat, mushrooms, and onions to a serving dish; keep warm.
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13
Pour meat juices through a fine wire strainer set over a medium-size pan; discard residue in strainer.
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14
In a small bowl, mix flour and the 1/2 cup water to make a smooth paste.
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15
Stir flour mixture into meat juices; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick and smooth.
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16
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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17
Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.
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18
If made ahead, let cool; then cover and refrigerate until next day.
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19
To reheat, transfer to a baking dish; cover and bake in a 350*F (175*C) oven until bubbly and heated through, about 35 minutes.
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20
Serve over hot cooked rice or noodles, if desired.
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21
Kiwidutch notes: first of all I skipped the brandy part of the recipe -- I made this on the stove top and the flavour was good but the meat was ever so slightly tough, so then I made this as an oven dish, but as with the first attempt, without the mushrooms DH said it was missing some flavour, but that the basis was good -- so I bought some cheap stewing beef a third time, and tried again, using the pressure cooker.
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22
Thinking that the addition of a vegetable might improve the flavour I added a head of broccoli (chopped) into the mix and pressure cooked for 30 minutes.
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23
The result was a slightly messy looking beef stew, but the taste was vastly improved and DH loved it -- so it's going to stay firmly in my cookbook with the additions that suit our needs and tastes.
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24
It's a cheap and easy meal to make, and went well over our roast potatoes.
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25
With only stars given in the reviews to date (July 2005) I am not certain how else people might wish me to try and improve this recipe.
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26
Therefore I give you my own experiences and ideas and would appreciate your feedback if you would like to experiment further with this one :).
