Recipes & Reminiscing with Karen Wright – Midi-Pyrenees
Having worked for us in the capacity of campsite courier and maintenance assistant as well as enjoying a fair few camping holidays with Canvas, our good friend Karen Wright from 2018’s Great British Bake Off knows a thing or two about our destinations. She also knows a fair amount about serving up delicious dishes and yummy bakes, so has all the ingredients needed to rustle up a brilliant blog about her favourite dishes and the destinations they come from.
Burgundy
My very first season working for Canvas Holidays I was based on a campsite in Burgundy. It was here that I became a massive fan of Beef Bourguignon. Burgundy is the home of wonderful vineyards and delicious wines, it is also where this dish originated from, although it is served all over the country now and is a classic French dish. Burgundy is next door neighbour to the Jura region and this hearty casserole is very popular there too. The campsite in Jura called Domain de Chalain is very close to my heart. I spent every season helping to set up the Canvas Holiday accommodation there, ready for our guests and closing it down at the end of the season too. The site is on the banks of the lake, they do say the minerals in the lake are brilliant for easing skin conditions and in a certain light the water glows like an Emerald.
Cuisine wise the Jura is mostly known for its array of cheese, Compte being the most popular. Those cheese triangles called Laughing Cow are made in the main town of Lons – Le – Saunier nearby. Also, as the Jura is close to Switzerland, Cheese Fondue is a very popular dish too.
Back to my dish of the day, Beef Burgundy, originally a peasant dish, it has risen to grace many a restaurant table all over the land and here is my take on it.
Beef Bourguinon
Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- 1 Large chopped onion
- 1 pack smoked lardons
- 600g stewing beef (big chunks are best)
- Crushed garlic (to taste)
- 1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Tbs dried Thyme
- 1 Tbs plain flour
- 1 Bottle red wine (Burgundy if possible) Save a couple of glasses to drink while you cook)
- Handful of button mushrooms
- Handful of shallots
Method:
This recipe calls for long and slow cooking, think a regular stew so the longer the better. It can be cooked in the oven, hon the hob or in a slow cooker but needs to be started on the hob in a large wok or frying pan.
Heat the pan and splash in a couple of glugs of olive oil. Gently cook the onion, try not to brown it we want soft, sweet, and translucent. Add the lardons and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the beef and brown the meat, add the garlic, thyme, and mustard. Cook together stirring it all about. Season with salt and pepper, you can add more later. Sprinkle the flour all over and stir it all about. This will help to thicken the sauce. Put in most of the wine, remember to keep a bit back to drink. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook on the hob for about 20 minutes and then transfer to a casserole or to slow cooker and continue to cook on low for a few hours in the oven/hob or all day in slow cooker. The sauce should reduce and thicken as it cooks. About an hour before you want to serve, cook down the mushrooms and shallots in a little oil to brown and then add to the pot. Remove any lids from the pot and increase the heat, this should reduce the sauce in the last hour to the rich consistency you want.
Great served with mashed potatoes, tagliatelle or even jus crusty bread a green beans!
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