Spring has been casting its magical touch all around here. Besides the more frequent and warmer sunshine, I noticed the other day while raking the yard purple crocus flowers, ruby rhubarb sprout, reddish bleeding heart frills and new leaves on the iris patch.
Colors in nature make me happy. So did making my first Boeuf Bourguignon a la Julia Child! Yes, I made it this morning following her recipe in The Way to Cook. I am still high on the fragrance of that wine-soaked braise :-) This dish is kind of a splurge for me, but it is so worth it for a special dinner with some dear friends.
A few things I learned while making Boeuf Bourguignon:
- Julia's technique of sauteing mushroom is right on: use butter in a good skillet (I used my 10-in cast iron skillet), cook on high heat, don't crown the mushrooms and shake the pan while cooking. What turned out was excellent browned plum quarters of mushrooms with the moisture still retained inside instead of being sucked out like when we cook mushroom on lower heat.
- Julia's tip on drying the pieces of stew beef before browning them is also a good one. Before browning them, I placed the meat in between 2 sheets of paper towel and gave them a little squeeze to soak up the moisture on the surface. The meat browned nicely and easily afterward.
I can't wait to share this dish with my friends this evening. Now it's time for me to go enjoy some sunshine outside!
Bon week-end!
PS: I did some calculation and learned that the cost of making this fancy dish is not overwhelming. The total cost for all the ingredients is at $25.00, with the biggest part being for the meat. With a loaf of European-style bread at an additional of $3.00, 5 adults can enjoy this meal together.
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