Braised Beef Cheeks Bourguignon

Ahead of our eagerly anticipated Beaujolais Nouveau Day, we’re sharing a deliciously seasonal recipe to celebrate the special event and the harvest of this year’s wine. This winter dish is also a lovely way to bring a touch of French cuisine into your kitchens this month and is destined to be a well-loved recipe.

Makes four generous servings

• 50ml vegetable oil
• 4 beef cheeks (about 300g each)
• 150g plain flour
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 350g shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 300ml red wine
• 1L beef stock
• 250g bacon lardons
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 350g button mushrooms, halved
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and halved
• 110ml cup milk
• 50g butter
• Salt and pepper

Contains: Dairy, Gluten, Celery, Sulphites

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Season the beef cheeks with salt and pepper, dust with a light coating of plain flour and brown all over in the frying pan, for roughly 7-8 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and shallots, and sauté for roughly 5 minutes until the shallots have turned golden. Then deglaze the pan with the wine.
4. Transfer the beef cheeks, shallots and garlic to a flameproof casserole dish and add the stock, bacon, thyme and bay leaves. Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for roughly 3 and a half hours until the beef is very tender.
5. Boil a large pan of water and gently place in the potatoes. Simmer over a medium-low heat for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and then return them to the pan. Turn the heat to high and allow the potatoes to dry for about 30 seconds. Then turn off the heat.
6. Place the casserole over a medium heat and add the mushrooms. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the parsley, leaving extra to the side.
7. Mash the potatoes and butter, slowly pouring in the milk until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve a spoonful of the mashed potatoes, and then add the braised beef casserole. Scatter over the extra chopped parsley and enjoy immediately.