My family developed a ritual in the early- and mid-1960s on Monday evenings when The French Chef was aired on Boston's WGBH Channel 2. In those days, the Boston Globe would print the recipes to be featured in the upcoming show. Then each Monday night, we'd gather around the TV and watch Julia Child cook up wonders we'd never heard of... Mom would take notes, sometimes on the newspaper article itself. A whole new world of cooking was opened up for us.
After the initial series ended, The French Chef Cookbook was printed in 1968 and, of course, we got it for Mom although she'd been making many of the recipes (like this one) based on the TV shows and the Boston Globe. When I moved out from home in the 1970s, Mom gave me her copy--I still have it. She wrote in it, "To Anne with love and good luck in the kitchen! Mom." By then, she had Julia's other cookbooks (Mastering the Art of French Cooking). I have those too now, but I treasure The French Chef Cookbook most... for the memories of our introduction to foods never imagined. This is my version of Julia's boeuf bourguignon.
For the Beef
Olive oil
3 lbs lean stewing beef
1 bottle full-bodied red wine
2+ c beef bouillon
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2-3 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt
For the Mushrooms
1 lb mushrooms
1/2 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
For the Onions
18-24 white boiling onions
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
For the Sauce
3 Tbsp softened butter
3 T flour
Serve with...
Boiled potatoes, noodles or rice
Parsley for garnish
French bread
Buttered peas or tossed saled
Red wine
Beef
Film a large skillet with 1/16 inch olive oil. Set over moderately high heat. When almost smoking, brown 3 lbs lean stewing beef (cut into 2-3 inch chunks and blotted dry), a little at a time, so not crowding the pan. (Turn frequently. As beef is browned, place in casserole or baking dish.
Pour fat out of skillet. Pour in 3 cups (1 bottle) of full-bodied young red wine and scrape up the brown bits, then pour wine over meat. Add enough beef bouillon to almost cover the meat (2 cups or so). Stir in 1 T tomato paste, 2-3 cloves mashed garlic, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1 bay leaf, and salt as necessary. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, cover and set in lower third of 325º oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers slowly 2½ – 3 hours, or longer, until beef is tender when pierced with a fork. (Or, it may be simmered on top of stove.)
Mushroom and Onion Garniture
Do these while the beef is simmering, or at any convenient time.
Mushrooms: Trim stems of 1 lb mushrooms. Cut caps in quarters and stems on the bias. Heat 1/2 T oil and 1 1/2 T butter in a skillet until butter foam begins to subside, add the mushrooms, and toss over high heat for 3 or 4 minutes to brown the mushrooms very lightly. Remove to a side dish (or bowl) until needed, then toss with ½ tsp. salt.
Onions: Drop 18-24 white boiling onions into boiling water; bring rapidly back to the boil for several seconds to loosen the skins. Drain. Peal carefully so as not to disturb the onion layers; to prevent onions from bursting while cooking, pierce a cross ¼ inch deep in the root end. Place in one layer in a heavy saucepan; add 1 T butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and enough water to come halfway up. Cover and simmer gently 20-30 minutes, until onions are tender. Set aside, reserving cooking liquid.
Sauce and Serving
When the beef is done, set cover askew and drain the cooking liquid into a saucepan or large measuring cup. Add a little bouillon to make 2½ cups if necessary. Skim off fat, bring liquid to the simmer, and taste carefully for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary. Cream 3 T softened butter with 3 T flour with a rubber spatula to make a smooth paste. Add in several spoonfuls of beef‑cooking liquid and blend with a wire whip. Pour this mixture into to the beef liquid. Pour in the onion-cooking juices (not too much) and bring liquid to the simmer, stirring. This is now your sauce.
Add the mushrooms and onions to the beef, then pour on the sauce, cover and simmer slowly for 5 minutes to blend flavors, swirling casserole to baste meat and vegetables with sauce. The dish is now done. (If you are not serving immediately, uncover casserole; when cool, cover, refrigerate, and reheat later.)
Serve the bœuf bourguignon in its casserole, or arrange on a hot platter surrounded, if you wish, with boiled potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley. Accompany with hot French bread, buttered peas or a tossed salad, and the same red wine you used for the cooking.
Bon appétit!