HEARTY MUSHROOM BOURGUIGNON

WOW, OH WOW. This veggie twist on the French bistro classic that is a beef bourguignon is the ultimate hearty comfort and a mushroom lover's dream! 

Make sure you allow for a few hours for this heavenly stew of mushrooms (go wild on the varieties), red wine, herbs, carrots and mushroom stock to cook away and develop ALLL the fantastic flavours, the depth you end up with is quite extraordinary and would, I think, even win over the most committed carnivore.

Best served with homemade mash, or if you are all cooked out after prepping the bourguinon a supermarket version will also more than do the trick - I went for a truffle mash from Waitrose and boy did it make the final dish even more outstanding.

A little time consuming to make but worth every second and sure to be added to my recipe rotation for the winter months.

SERVES 3-4

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed 
• 800g mixed mushrooms, such as portobello, cremini, white button, shiitake or oyster, cut into 1-inch chunks 
• 220g peeled pearl onions (2 cups), larger ones cut in half 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 large leek or 2 small leeks, white and light green parts, diced 
• 200g baby carrots
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste 
• 2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 1 ½ cups dry red wine 
• 1 ½ cups mushroom broth
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce, plus more to taste 
• 3 large fresh thyme branches or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 
• 1 bay leaf 
• Mashed potatoes, to serve

METHOD

• Add 2 tablespoons butter or oil to a large saucepan and set it over medium heat. 
• When the fat is hot, stir in half the mushrooms and half the pearl onions. (If it doesn’t all fit in the pot in one layer, you might have to do this in three batches, rather than two.) 
• Without moving them around too much, cook the mushrooms until they are brown on one side, about 3 minutes. 
• Stir and let them brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. 
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms and onions to a large bowl or plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
• Repeat with another 2 tablespoons butter and the remaining mushrooms and pearl onions, seasoning them as you go.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. 
• Add another 1 tablespoon butter or oil to the pan. 
• Add leeks and sauté until the leeks turn lightly golden and start to soften 5 minutes. 
• Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute longer. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. 
• Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add wine, broth, 1 tablespoon tamari, thyme, and bay leaf, scraping up the brown bits at bottom of the pot.
• Add reserved cooked mushrooms and pearl onions as well as the baby carrots back to the pot and bring to a simmer. 
• Partly cover the pot and simmer on low heat until carrots and onions are tender and sauce is thick, 50 – 60 minutes. 
• Taste and add more salt and tamari if needed.
• Serve mushroom Bourguignon over mashed potatoes and ENJOY!