Who on earth invented Beef Bourguignon and its sehr/muchos/tres complicated preparations?
Were they drunk? Because obviously crack hadn't been invented back then. I'm sorry I ever allowed ambition to override good sense. What a laborious exercise!
The many steps are tedious and angst-inducing.
They are the opposite of fun, in fact.
The only fun thing about the tiring ordeal was lighting the brandy and watching the blue flames lick the meat. It was quite mesmerizing, really, until I nearly singed the hairs on my fingers (which I didn't mind because I've never liked the hairs on my fingers).
I already know that Julia Child will be rolling over in her grave at my headless-chicken attempt (me being the headless chicken because chicken does not go in this recipe). This is the last time I will try and follow in her size 12 footsteps because French chefery (new word I just made up) is perhaps not for me. Not only did I not follow the directions properly (see: attention deficit, exhaustion, malaise), but I accidentally used Gulash cream instead of tomato paste because they both come in similar-looking tubes. I wonder if accidental stupidity is how fusion cooking was invented?
Perhaps, we'll never really know.
What I do know is that I started cooking late and this recipe calls for 3 goldanged hours in the oven.
You fry carrots and onions and tomato paste separately before adding them to the meat. Some chefs flambe the carrots and onions in Brandy. I did not.
I used Gulash paste instead of tomato paste by accident. Some of the best things in life happen by accident. Perhaps this was how fusion cooking was invented. Other spices I added were: thyme, bay leaf and Herbes de Provence.
I poured brandy over the beef and lit a match...VOILA! Flambeed meat.
For this part, you do not want to have children or cats with fluffy tails in the immediate vicinity.
You also want to keep your face well away from the pan. Unless you hate your eyebrows and want to get rid of them.
I waited until the flames died down and the sauce started to thicken.
How it looks before going into the oven.
I poured the beef into the pot along with the carrots and onions,
This is more broth than Julia would like, but what she (or her ghost) don't know, won't hurt her.
Now, we shall wait, pray and see.
First Hungarian Beef Bourguignon ever.
How it looks when it comes out of the oven.
Voila! Beef Bourguignon over mashed potatoes.
I love saying Voila! It makes me feel French all over.
Who knew that something so laborious and annoying would turn out so tasty.
I love it! smile emoticon
The photos were taken with an iPhone. Imagine how good my stew looked in reality.
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