This dish is both comforting and high-class. I absolutely love it. Ina Garten certainly knows how to take classic flavors and put them to a new/old comfort dish. She took the classic flavors of Beef Borguignon(wine, garlic, herbs) and paired them with a good old fashioned pot roast. The result is a delicious yet elegant meal that will easily serve 6 people. I think the best part is the leftovers. When I first made this, I made it for a few of my family members. Most of it was gone, but there was enough for me to reheat the next day. I am so glad there was, because it was just as, if not more delicious the next day. When it comes to side dishes, she chose to add a baked potato with sour cream and yoghurt. Those are absolutely delicious, but I am partial to herb roasted potatoes. However, if you are on a time schedule, you can of course opt for the baked potatoes which are less strenuous. Bottom line is that this is another Ina Garten specialty that I will always promote. Bon Appetit!
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This is the first recipe I made from Julia Child's "The Way to Cook" cookbook. Although I have to admit I was a little bit overwhelmed by the length of the recipe. So I re-wrote the recipe with far less steps and ingredients. I think it is better the way I have written it. As some of my culinary friends can tell you is that simpler can be better. Not to knock Julia Child of course, I still love her recipes and books. It has all of the best ingredients beef, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and wine. If you look at it, it is a fast and thicker version of Beef Borguignon. You basically saute all of the elements in the same pan, but separately and at the end you make the sauce in that pan and add everything back to it. What you are left with is a stew-like meal. It is quick,delicious, and reliable! Bon Appetit!
Cooked correctly this can be one of the most satisfying French dishes. Chicken on its own doesn't have a lot of flavor. But, the wonderful flavor of Marsala wine penetrates into the chicken. Mixed with the freshness of the mushrooms and parsley, it is truly satisfying. It can be fattening to some, but delicious none the less. You start by seasoning and flouring the chicken. You then saute it until browned and cooked through. Remove and cover the chicken with foil. Next, in the reserved drippings you saute some shallots and sliced mushrooms. Then comes the Marsala. Now, you want to use dry Marsala, NOT SWEET! The sweet has a different taste. Also,if you don't wish to spend a lot of money or you are under 21 like me, you can opt to use cooking Marsala. The brand I use is Holland House. Another good thing about using this, is that there is already salt added to it. You won't have to worry about adding salt to your dish. Then, once you add the wine, you want to bring it to a boil and reduce to simmer. Since the chicken was breaded with flour, this will thicken the sauce as it boils. For an added touch of richness, I like to add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream. Once the sauce has thickened, you add back the chicken and add parsley. Just let the chicken warm through and serve. When it comes to serving this, the classic method is to serve it over rice. But, you know me, I can't stand to serve something as elegant and rich like this over something as boring and simple as rice. I would prefer to serve it with a side of roasted potatoes or noodles. Ultimately it is up to you how you serve it. Bon Appetit!
This is without a doubt, my all time favorite dish I have ever made and eaten. Ever since I saw the movie "Julie and Julia" and watched Julia Child make it on her first television show, I knew I was hooked. To the French this is a peasant dish, but to me its the best dish ever invented. I make this when ever I can. I have made it at least 4 or 5 times for all of my friends for lunch at school. When you have made it for 35 people it gets easier to make a single batch of the recipe. It is so simple (after the first time making it) and yet so divine. It is a beef stew with Red Wine, Bacon, Carrots, Mushrooms, and braised onions (which are cooked separately and added later). In the original Julia Child recipe you use a good red wine. But unfortunately for me, you have to be 21 to buy wine, so I have discovered cooking wine is sold in most grocery stores and you don't have to be 21 to buy it. It is a mix of different blends of wines with salt already added. The brand I use is Holland House. They make red, white, Marsala,and sherry cooking wines. Most chefs will probably call for my execution for this, but I prefer to use this cooking wine when making this because, I have found that the salt level and flavor of the dish is spot on every time because the wine has salt already in it. That way I don't have to worry about adding salt to it. But you can of course use a good red wine from your local liquor store. That is just my personal preference. The actual cooking of the dish is relatively simple. As I said above, it gets easier each time you make it. I could now make it in my sleep. You start out by rendering bacon lardons in a dutch oven or oven safe casserole. Remove the bacon and brown the stew meat in the bacon fat. Remove the meat and saute the carrots in the fat. Return everything to the pot and add your wine, beef stock, and herbs and seasonings. Cover and place in a preheated oven. When meat is cooked about 2 hours later. Strain the sauce into another saucepan. Place sauce over moderate heat and thicken it. You correct seasoning if you need. You then add back the meat and carrots. What I recommend now is to let it cool, cover it, and refrigerate overnight or a day or two. The stew gains in flavor the longer it sits. You then just have to reheat it slowly. Once reheated or ready to serve, you add your braised onions and sauteed mushrooms. You don't add the mushrooms until just before serving, otherwise they will sort of dissolve. It is now ready to serve. When it comes to serving it, the traditional way to serve it is over rice or buttered noodles. I personally view this as a cheap way to serve it and is a waste of such a delicious dish. I like to make some herb roasted potatoes and serve the stew over this. I feel if you are making a rich and gourmet dish like this, don't serve it over something healthy and boring like rice. But again, it is up to you how you wish to serve it. As a matter of fact you don't have to serve it over anything. For example, on the day after eating it, I just eat the leftovers in a bowl with a chunk of french bread. If you make this dish and you say you don't care for it, you obviously have no taste for good food whatsoever. I will warn you, the cost for this dish is around $30-40 for all of the meat and veggies and spices. It is for special occasions. They way I feel, I would have this every week if I could. So please make this as fast as you can. The recipe for the Beouf Borguignon, braised onion and Sauteed Mushrooms is below. As Julia Child says..."Bon Appetit"!
This idea came to me when I was researching various ways of making pasta sauce. I was watching "Barefoot Contessa" on Food Network and she was making the classic Pasta alla Vodka. I was drawn towards the creamy looking sauce. I thought how could I make that without the vodka and add more flavor. Then, I thought of red wine. As I say, any good wine can add great flavor to any savory dish. So I started experimenting, and as a student at Allegany College of MD for Culinary Arts,when you have a recipe to test, the best way to do it is to make it for the students for lunch. I made it and it was very well received. So I thought, this is a keeper. Bon Appetit! Note: The picture above was my first attempt. The recipe as it is now is not as chunky.
For a quick yet elegant steak dinner, turn to a delicious Steak au Poivre. It is a very popular French steak dish. It is a steak of your choice, yet I would prefer a filet mignon steak. You coat it in roughly cracked peppercorns. The longer you let it sit, the better flavor the steak will have. You then sear it on each side for about 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked to your desired done-ness. You then make a sauce from the pan drippings. You saute some minced shallots or onions. Then, degrease the pan with beef stock and French Cognac. Be careful when you pour the cognac. Turn the flame or heat down or off to prevent flare ups. After you boil it for a few minutes, you swirl in some butter to give the sauce a little bit of body. You then serve this sauce over the steaks. For a side dish, I would suggest some sort of potatoes. A classic would be some matchstick fried potatoes. They are excellent with the sauce.
This is with out a doubt the most delicious rice dish I have ever made. It is spicy from the Chorizo, tangy from the wine, freshness from the peas, and creamy from the Manchego cheese. If you think you don't like rice or risotto your mind will change once you get a good taste of this divine creation. This was the first risotto I have ever made, and I am glad I tried this one first. Although, once I start experimenting with other recipes, I know that none will ever taste as delicious as this. I made it for my friends at Allegany College of MD for lunch. We were doing demonstrations on various cooking techniques. The chef asked me to find a recipe for risotto. i didn't want to do some boring old basic parmesan risotto. I wanted to do a recipe with many different layers of flavor. I stumbled on this and it started a day filled with Chorizo, Red Wine, and manchego cheese. I highly suggest you go to your local market immediately for the ingredients. There is one thing for sure...you need to have patience when cooking this. It takes around 45 minutes to an hour of constant stirring. The recipe for this is below. I beg you all to try it. Bon Appetit!
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