French Country Soup Recipe

How to make Garbure vegetable soup recipe, a thick French soup with cabbage and other vegetables.

Easy Appetizers 

Ingredients:

2 carrots, peeled and sliced 

4 cups water 

3 cups vegetable broth 

3 leeks or 6-8 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces 

1 cup dried navy beans, cooked and drained 

2 cups cabbage, chopped 

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar 

2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced 

2 stalks celery, slices 

1/2 cup frozen peas 

salt 

Preparation:

In a large pot, heat canola oil. Add carrots, leeks or scallions, cabbage, celery, sugar and salt. Mix well and cover. Simmer over low for 30 minutes. Add water, vegetable broth, navy beans, potatoes and peas. Stir and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes. Puree, taste and adjust seasoning to taste.

Roast Pheasant with Grapes and Walnuts

Roasted pheasant recipes is delicious for as long as the game bird is very young. Ask your butcher for a young female pheasant, since their flesh is juicier than older pheasants for best recipes. As easy to roast as turkey or chicken, pheasant is somewhat less fatty and, if not farm-raised, far more flavorful than commercial poultry.

Ingredients:
One 4-pound pheasant, washed and patted dry
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, savory, and basil
1 lemon, quartered
8 cipolline onions
1 cup Chicken Stock to Make 1 1/2 Quarts, or low-sodium canned
1/2 cup Marsala wine1 cup mixed green and red grapes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
8 large radicchio leaves


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Rub the pheasant with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff with fresh herbs and the lemon and truss. Spread the onions in a roasting pan and lay the pheasant on top of them. Add the chicken stock and Marsala wine to the pan.

Roast 35 to 45 minutes, or until the thigh juices run clear when pricked with a fork, basting every 15 to 20 minutes with the pan juices. If the feet of the pheasant begin to darken, tent with foil. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest.

Meanwhile, transfer the roasting pan to the stovetop, skim the fat, and bring the pan juices to a boil, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Add the grapes and walnuts and cook 15 minutes, or until the grapes are soft and the juices are thickened. Crush some of the grapes with the back of a spoon to release their juices.

Slice the pheasant into 1/4-inch slices and serve over the radicchio. Spoon the grapes and walnuts alongside and season with salt and pepper.

Hearty Vegetable Quinoa Soup

A healthy and hearty vegetable soup! This soup is loaded with veggies-carrots, celery, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and green beans. Quinoa recipe is added to “beef” it up, don’t worry, there is no beef in the soup. This soup is vegan and gluten-free one of the best vegetable soup recipe. This soup is perfect for new parents because it’s easy to make and you can eat it for days! Plus, it’s loaded with nutrients, protein, and warms the soul.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 box (32 ounces) vegetable broth (I used Pacific Natural Foods)
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cups cooked quinoa
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:


1. Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, zucchini, yellow squash, and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.


2. Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and basil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the cooked quinoa and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.


Note: To cook the quinoa, rinse 1 cup quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, 2 cups water, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Beet Avocado Salad with Chia Seed Dressing

This “carpaccio recipe” is elegant and delicious. Creating a super cool recipe with beet is really cool and elegant. It’s light and nutritious healthy meals. 

Ingredients

1 large beet, thoroughly washed

1 avocado, slightly firm

3 tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp grain mustard

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ tsp agave nectar

⅛ tsp salt, or to taste

2 tsp chia seeds

2 tbsp chopped chives

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Wrap beet in foil and bake for about an hour, until tender. Set aside to cool and remove skin.
2. To prepare the dressing, combine olive oil, grain and Dijon mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, agave and salt in a glass jar. Shake vigorously, add chia seeds and let sit for a few minutes
3. In the meantime, using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, thinly slice the cooled beet. Arrange slices on 2 salad plates. Dice avocado and place in the center of each plate. Sprinkle nuts and chopped chives all around and top with chia dressing

Indian Butter Chicken Recipe

Look for mild curry paste at the grocery store to keep things cool for any tender tongues. Most children love the creaminess of butter healthy chicken recipes and paired with steamed Jasmine rice and roasted vegetables, it makes for an easy chicken recipes meal. If you want to add a special touch, fry up some pappadums to dip in the butter chicken sauce.

Gourmet recipes

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp ground cumin

2-3 tbsp yellow or red curry paste

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 cuptomato sauce

3/4 cup coconut milk

8 skinless, bone-in chicken drumsticks and thighs (approx. 3 lbs)

Directions

Melt butter and pour in slow cooker.
Stir in all ingredients except chicken.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to sauce.
Turn chicken to coat.
Cook on high setting for 2 1/2 hours or low for 5 hours.

Mini Quiches

These mini quiches easy appetizers are versatile when it comes to the fillings; and their small size satisfies without being too filling. These quiche never disappoint and there is rarely any leftover on the buffet. The appetizer recipes are rich, flavorful and crazy adorable. Vegetarians and meat-lovers alike love them. And they are totally adaptable healthy recipes—switch out the cheeses, leave out the spinach, add some ham. Whatever you want!

Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
3 cups whole wheat flour (or any combo of white and wheat)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 sticks butter, cut into small cubes and frozen
8-10 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling
1/2 stick of butter
Pinch of red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon honey
16 ounces chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1-16 ounce can of sliced mushrooms
6 ounces herbed feta cheese, crumbled
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
4 eggs
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1.       Preheat oven to 375°. Spray each of the cups of a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.

2.       To prepare pie crust, pulse together flour, sugar, and salt until well-mixed. Add in butter and pulse until butter is cut into pea-sized (and smaller) pieces. Pulse in water, 2-3 tablespoons at a time until mixture stays together when squeezed in your hand. Dump mixture onto a well-floured surface, form into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap and stash in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

3.       In a heavy-bottomed dutch oven or skillet, melt butter over medium high heat. Add in red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until garlic is tender and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add in onion and cook until garlic is translucent, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add in honey and simmer onions until they turn brown and very soft—about 15 minutes.

4.       Add the mushrooms, spinach, feta, and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and stir until well-mixed. Remove from heat and set aside.

5.       In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper until pale and bubbly. Set aside.

6.       Remove one of the pie crust discs from the fridge and roll out on a well-floured surface until about 1/8″ thick. Using a biscuit cutter or drinking glass rim, cut out small pie crust circles. Place one circle in each of the cups of the prepared muffin tin—pressing in to form around cup.

7.       To fill each up, put about 1 teaspoon of the spinach mixture in each of the cups, then carefully spoon about 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture over top. Top each mini quiche with a little bit of the remaining cheddar cheese. Repeat until all cups are full.

8.       Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the pie crust is browned and the egg is set. Repeat process with remaining crust and filling.

Mini Turkey Cheeseburgers

Not everything at parties has to be bad for you. These easy appetizers are tasty. Turkey burgers get an added shot of good-for-you oatmeal to help bind them together to have healthy recipes. Like some spice? Add a pinch of chili flakes to liven the appetizer recipes.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1 egg

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp mustard (Dijon or yellow)

2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt

12 pieces of cheese (1/4 x 1/4 squares)

12 mini pitas

Directions:

Combine turkey, oats and egg in a bowl.

Mix in garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, Parmesan and salt.

Form mini patties with about 2 tbsp of turkey mixture. Press a piece of cheese into the middle, covering completely with turkey.

Cover and chill patties until ready to cook.

Heat grill or fry pan to medium high heat and cook patties about 5 minutes a side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165-deg. F.

Serve burgers in split, toasted mini pitas with garnishes.

Pizza Potato Skins

This is a delicious evening snack or side dish to any healthy meals...these potato skins taste so good!You’ll love these easy appetizers. So easy…so tasty. And considering the pizza topping possibilities that exist in this universe of ours, you could have a whole party based on pizza potato skin variations alone.

Ingredients

8 whole Small Russet Potatoes

Canola Oil

Butter, Melted

Kosher Salt

Jarred Marinara Or Pizza Sauce

Grated Mozzarella Cheese

Diced Pepperoni

Minced Fresh Parsley

Miscellaneous Pizza Toppings: Cooked Sausage, Cooked Hamburger, Diced Bell Pepper, Diced Onion, Diced Mushrooms, Diced Canadian Bacon, Etc.

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes very clean.

Rub the surface of each potato with canola oil. Sprinkle with salt and bake until the potatoes are tender and the skins are crisp, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Cut the baked potatoes in half, then use a spoon to scoop out most of the insides, leaving a bit of a rim all around. Brush the inside and outside of each half with melted butter. Place the potatoes skin side up and return to the oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn them over (using tongs) and put them back in the oven for a few more minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp. Remove them from the oven and set them aside.

To assemble the skins, fill each skin with a spoonful of marinara or pizza sauce. Add a good amount of grated cheese and sprinkle on some diced pepperoni. Return them to the oven for just a couple of minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve immediately!

Pork Feet And Cheek With Cepe Mushrooms

A delicious delicacy, Pork feet and cheek with cepes mushroom is a unique recipe healthy meals that will titillate your taste buds. The feet and cheeks of the pork are tasty and crunchy parts that are often overlooked by most households. They are considered carcasses that end up in the waste bin or are used only to make stock. In this easy appetizers recipe, learn how to make a gourmet meal out of the unwanted parts of pork meat.

Ingredients
2.21 lbs. pork cheek
2.21 lbs. cooked pork feet
2.21 lbs. cepe mushrooms (select only large mushrooms with a head-diameter of at least 2 inches)
2 tablespoons butter
1.4 oz carrots
1.4 oz. turnip
1 oz. celery
0.35 oz. leek, pepper


For the marinade:
2.8 oz. garlic
thyme
1 rosemary branch
5/8 teaspoon Guérande sea salt
6 tablespoons raisin core oil
3 soup spoons olive oil from Nyons

Preparation Instructions
1. Sauté veal in butter and lightly sweated chopped onions. In a blender, crack the eggs and add fresh cream. Add chopped onions and veal. Mix the ingredients to get a very fine stuffing.

2. Debone the pork. Spread and open it wide. Place the stuffing inside the pork. With a thin film, wrap the pork and roll it extremely tight. Poach in a bouillon. Slice into four pieces.

3. Separate the caps from the stems of the cepes. Fry the mushroom stems in some shallots and oil and add the pork bones. Add thyme and bay leaf. Pour red wine to deglaze. Add veal juice. Cook until reduced. Pass through a sieve to get sauce.

4. Lightly fry the caps of the mushrooms in some butter and cook with some of the sauce.

5. Place the poached pork pieces on a serving plate. Top with the mushroom caps. Pour some sauce on top and drizzle some parsley oil on the sides to finish.

Chicken and Pepper EGG Rolls

Hearty healthy lumpia recipe, savory filling in a light, flaky crust makes these brightly colored delicacies just right for easyappetizers dipping -- and the perfect munchie for a holiday gathering. Reminiscent of Pepper Steak, these egg rolls aren't difficult to do and are packed with flavor. Use whatever color pepper strikes your fancy and watch the family devour these appetizer recipes.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

2 large bell peppers (any color) cut into thin strips

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

12 egg roll wrappers

 oil for frying

Directions

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 2 Tablespoons oil. Cook chicken strips just until no longer pink. Push to one side of pan.

Add pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add soy sauce, garlic and ginger and stir well. Cook until most liquid has evaporated.

Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. This is important; adding hot ingredients to the egg roll wrappers will cause them to break down and leak.

Once cooled, lay several strips of chicken, onion and peppers in the center of an egg roll wrapper that has been laid on a surface with one point toward you. Fold the right point over and under the filling. Fold the top and bottom points down and roll from right to left, securing the left point with a touch of water.

Repeat with all wrappers and filling. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry egg rolls, turning over once during cooking, until golden brown. Drain on paper toweling.

Note
Alternately these can be baked in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until browned.

Mushroom Soup with Winter Vegetables

A hearty winter vegetable soup recipe consisting of caramelized onions, wild mushrooms, carrots, and butternut squash. Make this fresh and delicious dish from scratch now, then freeze it to savor later. This warming vegetarian healthy recipes is filled with healthy veggies. A great appetizer recipes for the whole family.

Note: Headspace should be left in containers holding liquid to allow for expansion when frozen.

Ingredients
2 head(s) Garlic
6 tablespoon(s) Unsalted Butter
2 large Onions, chopped
1 1/2 pound(s) Assorted Wild Mushrooms, sliced, stems reserved
8 Carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 Ribs Celery, chopped
8 sprig(s) Fresh Parsley
1/4 cup(s) Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 Bay Leaf
1 (about 2 1/4 pounds) Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into
1/2-inch cubes1 cup(s) Light Red Wine, such as pinot noir
2 teaspoon(s) Salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) Coarse-Ground Pepper
2 tablespoon(s) Fresh Lemon Juice

Directions:

Roast the garlic: Heat oven to 400°F. Cut about 1 inch off the top of both heads of garlic, dot each with 1 tablespoon butter, wrap in foil, and roast until soft -- about 45 minutes; let cool and squeeze to release the roasted meat. Discard the skins and set meat aside.

Make the vegetable stock: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large saucepan. Add half the onions and cook over low heat until caramelized -- about 25 minutes. Add the mushroom stems, half the carrots, and the celery and cook until soft -- about 10 minutes. Add 8 cups water, parsley sprigs, and bay leaf, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain and discard the solids. Add enough water to bring stock to 6 cups. Set aside.

Make the soup: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms in thirds, adding an additional 1 tablespoon butter with each batch, until golden -- about 3 minutes per batch. Add the remaining onion and cook until softened -- about 3 minutes. Add the squash and remaining carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the red wine, salt, pepper, roasted garlic, and reserved vegetable stock, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are tender -- about 25 minutes. If freezing, skip to Step 4. Stir in chopped parsley and lemon juice and serve immediately.

Freeze the soup: Cool soup completely, transfer to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw soup in the refrigerator. Place thawed soup in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in chopped fresh parsley and lemon juice.

BBQ Pheasant Pizza : a new twist on BBQ Chicken Pizza

These pheasant recipes was easy to make and it tasted pretty good. Pheasant pizza is baked with lots of gooey fresh mozzarella cheese, sauteed red onion, smoky bbq sauce, scallion for a touch of color and fragrant cilantro. We hope you will like these appetizer recipes as much as we did. It was delightful healthy recipes!

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 1-2 hours
Cooking Time: 12-15 minutes

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough
- 1 scant tsp. active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 tbs. olive oil

Toppings
- breasts of 1 pheasant
- quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup bbq sauce, divided
- 10 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup pasta/pizza sauce
- 4-5 green onions, white and light green parts chopped
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped


I. Pizza Dough
1. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. of yeast and 3/4 cup of warm water. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, 3/4 tsp. of kosher salt and the yeast/water mixture.
3. Mix the dough while slowly pouring in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. If doing by hand, it helps to have an extra set to help.
4. Stop mixing when everything comes together. Lightly grease the same bowl with olive oil, replace the dough, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for at least 1 hour. You can do this several days in advance.

II. Toppings
1. While dough rests, prepare the toppings. 2 main breasts and 2 tenders
2. Place pheasant breasts into a small container. Lightly sprinkle salt on all sides. Then squirt some bbq sauce to coat all over. Prepare the grill.
3. To make the pizza sauce, combine 1/4 cup of bbq sauce and 1/4 cup of pizza/pasta sauce.
4. Slice fresh mozzarella thinly. Set aside.
5. Chop white and light green parts of green onion.
6. Heat 1 tbs. of olive oil in a pan. Saute sliced red onion for about 5-7 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
Stir often. Or if you're a pro like my brother, you can flip it. But remember, what you lose you must clean.
7. Once grill is ready, cook pheasant breasts for about 5 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. DO NOT OVERCOOK! Baste with the rest of the bbq sauce. Slice/chop breasts into small pieces.
8. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.After an hour or two, the dough would've doubled in size.
9. Flatten dough out on a cookie sheet. I found it easiest to use my hands.
Lightly sprinkle some salt over flattened dough. Then spread bbq/pizza sauce mixture over it. We didn't use all of it, but it's up to you. Then top pizza with sliced mozzarella cheese. You can add as much cheese as you want. We went back in afterwards to fill in the spaces. The pheasant comes next. And also the sauteed red onion and chopped green onion. Drizzle leftover bbq/pizza sauce mixture over the top of pizza.
10. Then bake in a 500 degree F oven on the lowest rack for about 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust turns golden brown. .
11. Garnish with chopped cilantro and red pepper flakes.

Crock Pot Chicken And White Bean Chili

This is a light, healthy and complete white bean chicken chili healthy meals which you can serve with tortilla chips or bread. For a fabulous dinner or lunch top the chili with sour cream.

This easy chicken recipes version is a healthy, colorful and delicious chili recipe is made with boneless and skinless healthy chicken recipes cut into chunks, Great Northern beans and whole kernel corn, cooked in a crock pot with chicken broth, flavored with onions, cloves, celery, dried basil, lime juice, and hot pepper sauce, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

By increasing the amount of hot pepper sauce you can increase the heat of this chili or you can add hot pepper flakes or chili powder, or fresh chili to the mix depending on your preference. Just make sure you can take the heat. Also everyone you are going to serve the chili to, otherwise, you can spice up your individual serving with some chili powder.

Great Northern Beans are a kind of white beans with a luscious creamy color popular in North America and are related to the kidney and pinto beans. They are smaller than cannelinis, and look like white baby lima beans. Delicately flavored with a dense and nutty taste they have a slightly grainy texture. They absorb flavors really well and are perfect for salads and soups, and therefore make excellent chili. They are available in the supermarket either canned (and precooked) or dried (and raw). You can also use navy beans or cannelloni beans to make this recipe if you can’t find Great Northern beans.

You will have to soak the beans in water before cooking them if you are using dried beans. Sort through them and remove any debris and beans that have an odd color or shape before soaking the dried beans. Soak the beans overnight and before cooking drain well.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into chunks

1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 tsp. dried basil

2 cans (16 oz.) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (16 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained

2 tbsp. lime juice

2 tbsp. minced cilantro

2 tbsp. hot pepper sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions

1. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Then add chicken chunks. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turning pieces over, until chicken is lightly browned on all sides. Drain the fat.

2. Transfer chicken chunks to the bottom of a crock pot. Then add the chicken broth.

3. Measure and add remaining ingredients. Cook covered for 3-4 hours on high heat or 5-6 hours on low heat, or until chicken and beans are tender.

4. Serve Top with sour cream, if desired. Then serve.

Boeuf Bourguignon & Caramelized Crispy Potatoes

As this is a healthy gourmet recipes, you will enjoy making it with your family. Well, lovers, it's just this delicious, rich, decadent, warming, wintery, red wine stew and you, now (after a day worth of cooking). Absolutely make the caramelized crispy potatoes, even if they sound posh. They're heaven healthy food recipes. Maybe my favorite potato dish, ever. 

Boeuf Bourguignon
recipe inspired by julia child

Ingredients:
1.5 kg lean stew beef, cut into 4 cm cubes
salt and pepper and flour
frying butter
1 onion, quarters
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 piece celeriac, roughly chopped
1 piece leek, roughly chopped
2 cloves
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 garlic cloves
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 liter red wine, young and full bodied
3/4 liters (home made) beef stock


20 small white onions
500 g small brown mushrooms
1 cup more wine
olive oil
cold butter

Directions:
before we start, you will need a large casserole / dutch oven (mine is a le creuset, hehe), but also, if it's oval (like mine) and you haven't got an oval hot plate, we will need to make this in the oven (yes, you heard correctly, the oven). meaning: you will need a large saucepan, too.

and another note: you know how it looks like the boeuf bourguignon is something that's just thrown together into one pot? well, it's not, actually. the secret is to prepare everything separately, i.e. the beef meat, the onions and the mushrooms. yeah, it sucks, but it's going to end up being so much better. let's do this!

for the meat: preheat the oven to 160 c / 350 f. heat frying butter in the casserole / large frying pan until almost smoking. dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. season each piece of beef with salt and pepper, and dust with some flour. put beef into the hot frying pan, a few pieces at a time, don't overcrowd the pan, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides (do not lift or remove beef before it starts to lift from the pan on it's own). put it aside.

in the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables (onion, carrots, leeks, celeriac, garlic) together with the tomato paste. let brown nicely. add the herbs and cloves and most of the red wine; bring to a simmer on the stove top and let the wine reduce a little.

now put the vegs with the wine as well as the fried meat pieces in the casserole, add the rest of the wine and the beef stock. the meat should be covered in liquid. cover with the lid, and braise in the oven slowly, for 2.5 to 3 hours.

now, while the beef is cooking, on to the small onions: heat water in a large saucepan. blanch the whole onions - with the skins on - for 2 minutes, drain and cool in ice cold water. put on a pair of gloves and squeeze the onions out of their skins. pat dry. heat a little butter with a little olive oil until bubbling in a skillet. add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. be careful not to break their skins. add some of the wine! yeah. season with salt and pepper to taste. cover and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. set onions aside.

for the onions, heat some more butter and oil in a frying pan, now fry the mushrooms until nice and brown. season with salt and set aside.

back to the meat: after the meat has braised long enough in the oven, remove the casserole. now you need to get rid of the vega and just keep the meat and the sauce. to do that, pick out every piece of meat with a pair of tongs; put aside. drain the rest, and catch the sauce with a large frying pan. discard the vegs. now let the red wine sauce reduce for and thicken for about 30 minutes. it needs to be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. if too thin, boil it down rapidly. if too thick, mix in a few more tablespoons of stock. taste carefully for seasoning (after it's reudced). stir in some cold butter cubes for a nice glossiness. pour sauce back in the casserole over meat. add the fried onions and mushrooms. set aside until used; i.e. you can prepare everything ahead up to here! yay!

note: when cooled completely, the sauce turns very thick, almost rubber-like, solid, that's because of the grease. don't worry! tender reheating will liquify the sauce again.

half an hour before you need the meat, cover the casserole and put on the stove top, reheating everything on the lowest heat level. stir occasionally, but very carefully so. careful, don't bring it to a boil, it just needs to come to simmer, maximum.

to serve, arrange stew (balanced amount of meat, onions, mushrooms and sauce) on a plate. decorate with thyme if you want. and serve with the crispy potatoes (recipe as follows:).

Caramelized crispy potatoes with dried prunes
recipe adapted from yotam ottolenghi

Ingredients:
1kg floury potatoes
1/2 cup rapeseed oil
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
2 cups dried whole prunes, stones removed
salt

Directions:
preheat the oven to 220c (450f). peel the potatoes and quarter the large ones and only half the smaller ones. put them in a large saucepan filled with water immediately, to prevent discoloration. season the water with salt. bring to a boil. boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until almost but not completely tender. drain, and put back in the saucepan to "de-steam" (ahem). toss and shake to roughen the edges up a bit - this will help achieve the desired crunchy skin.

put the rapeseed oil fat in a roasting tray and heat in the oven for a couple of minutes, until smoking. tip in the potatoes and use metal tongs to roll them around in the hot fat. return the tray to the oven and cook for 50 to 60 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and crunchy on the outside, and soft in the middle. while they are cooking, turn them over from time to time to make sure they colour evenly. once the potatoes are almost ready, take the tray out of the oven and carefully remove the excess fat. add the prunes, and stir gently. return to the oven for five minutes.

during this time, make the caramel. put the sugar in a heavy-based pan and place over a low heat. without stirring, watch the sugar as it turns a rich, caramel colour. keep your eyes on the sugar at all times because it can easily catch and burn. the moment it reaches the desired colour, remove from the heat. quickly pour the water into the caramel to stop it from cooking any more, then return to the heat and stir to eliminate any lumps (this is annoying, as it might take more minutes than you would have thought). before serving, stir the caramel into the potatoes and prunes. transfer to a bowl or directly onto the plates and eat at once.