Felicity Cloake’s boeuf bourguignon

This recipe is based on one I enjoyed at Chez Léon in Dijon — savoury and rich with a hint of sweet spice. Try to get cheeks and oxtail; they’re better than ordinary stewing beef. The croutons are optional, but delicious. SERVES: 6 TAKES: 3 HRS 45 MINS

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil 35g butter 200g unsmoked bacon lardons 18 baby carrots 200g button mushrooms 24 pearl onions or 12 small shallots, peeled 1kg beef cheeks, cut into 3cm chunks 400g oxtail 2 tbsp flour, seasoned 60ml brandy 300ml good beef stock ½ thin baguette, sliced into very thin rounds 1 garlic clove, halved olive oil, to drizzle

FOR THE SAUCE

1 bottle of fruity, dry red wine 1 onion, peeled and quartered 1 large carrot, cut into 2cm chunks 2 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed to bruise 1 bay leaf 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp ground ginger 2 cloves 5 peppercorns small bunch of parsley, plus 2 tbsp chopped,

to garnish 2 sprigs of thyme

METHOD

Put all the ingredients for the sauce in a pan, then bring to the boil and simmer until reduced by about half. Heat oven to 170C, 150C fan, gas 3.

Heat the oil and butter in a large casserole dish set over a medium-high heat. Fry the bacon until golden, then scoop out and set aside. Sauté the carrots and mushrooms until lightly golden, then transfer to a fresh bowl.

Fry the onions until starting to brown, then tip into the same bowl. Roll the cheeks and oxtail in the seasoned flour, then fry in batches over a medium-high heat until deeply browned. Remove and set aside in a fresh bowl.

Pour the brandy into the pan and scrape any brown bits off the bottom. Strain in the reduced sauce, discarding the vegetables, then add the stock and meat and bring to a simmer. Cover and bake for 2hrs 30 mins, then add the sautéed vegetables and cook for a further 30 mins. Meanwhile, rub the baguette slices with the garlic halves, drizzle with olive oil and grill until crisp.

Strip the meat from the cooked oxtail and stir back into the sauce, along with the cooked bacon. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the croutons.

Taken from One More Croissant for the Road by Felicity Cloake (Mudlark, £9.99)