A few questions about beef bourguignon
Hi,
I'd like to make beef bourguignon for a family dinner on Saturday. I was planning to make beef bourguignon, mashed cauliflower with bacon, green salad, Alice Waters' carrots with honey glaze, and whiskey maple creme brûlée.
A couple of questions:
1) Is it fine to do the cauliflower mash instead of the more traditional noodles or polenta?
2) Do you have a favourite BB recipe? I usually just wing it with vague recollections from cooking school.
3) Are there any advantages to making carbonnade instead of BB?
4) Is my menu balanced or overlooking anything?
Recommended by Food52
9 Comments
2) Julia Child's but there are many good ones
3) if you like beer, carbonnade is a nice alternative. There's space in the world for both
4) this dish is to me an epitome of comfort food, so fine almost on its wn...but/and if you want to liven it up add some crunch (a la Windishgirl) or green fresh (another direction)
The mashed cauliflower would be a good sub for the carb, but since there is plenty of bacon in traditional Boeuf B, I wouldn't put it in the cauliflower.
So here's my version of Boeuf B: https://food52.com/recipes/25918-boeuf-bourguignon
Carbonnade would fit into your menu if you prefer. it's Belgian, Boeuf B is French. I couldn't do Carbonnade because I'm terribly allergic to beer, but that probably does not apply to you.
your menu sounds fine - and well balanced. :)
2) I use Serious Eat's recipe and I really like it. I don't use homemade stock if I don't have it already, nor have I ever bothered with the gelatin. If you try this one, don't skip on the fish or soy sauce, sound weird but it works!
3) Carbonnade sounds good too, just depends on if you want the wine or beer flavor in the dish.
4) If it were me, I would probably swap out the glazed carrots for a different veggie, since I always have a lot of carrots in the beef bourg already. I like Windischgirl's idea of something crispy too.
2) I think my BB recipe is from Gourmet...I do know it goes in a slow oven for three hours and makes the house smell fab
3) Carbonnade would certainly work with this menu as well.
4) might just be me, but I want a crispy crunchy cookie to go with that creme brûlée. The only thing that seems missing from this menu is something with crunch. Textures are, for the most part, soft. So put some candied walnuts, crisp apple slices, and chopped celery in that salad. And a crunchy cookie with dessert!