Mushroom Bourguignon

The ultimate date-night dinner - beef bourguignon.  Hands down. No contest.  It just is!   A decadent + rich classic that I get to enjoy rarely (like maybe 3 times in my lifet), but every time I do it feels like the most special night ever.  My introduction came from watching one of the greatest movies of my generation - Julie & Julia.  A freaking classic!  The scene where the main character dresses up like Julia Child to make “boeuf bourguignon” for all her friends - iconic!  Just a girl cooking her way through a classic cookbook & sharing some of her best meals with friends.  What can I say - I relate.  Cut to me immediately begging my mom for my own copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and I was officially part of the movement. It was just one of those movies that made an impact + lead to a fixation with this one meal.  I instantly pegged this dish as something special - worth slowing down for + enjoying with your favorite people.  It might have been the first time I’d really every viewed food like that.

Obviously I was dying to make it, and first at-home attempt was with my Mom, another gal also influenced by Julie & Julia.  She thought of the idea to make beef bourguignon as a holiday meal.  I instantly thought she was a genius - it was all we needed to make it the best Christmas ever!  We cooked together all day prepping for close friends to come over.  We did the shopping, read & reread the recipe at least three times, got out our Le Creuset out (which made us feel so fancy), and we were ready to get down to business.  Aprons on, browning hunks of beef like we’d never done before, chopping veggies, pouring wine in a sizzling cast iron (which felt quite cutting edge at the time), scraping brown bits off the bottom.  It stands out as a first for all these things - like my mom + I were on this kitchen adventure together to do something epic.  Truth be told, can’t really remember one single thing about eating it, thought I’m sure I loved it.  It was the getting our hands dirty + tackling a kitchen project together that felt iconic, and to us it was heaven.

 
 

I deemed it time to do it all again, clearing the Thursday night schedule to get my hands back on bourguignon.  My first time making it for Jordan & I.  Roadblock number 1 - we aren’t exactly eating a ton of meat.  Well, turns out you can put cremini, button, and oyster mushrooms on your grocery list and make the most delicious Mushroom Bourguignon imagine-able.  This stuff is just vegetarian heaven.  Lucious, rich, and the same deep savory notes of a classic beef bourguignon that just meld together so perfefctly in the sauce.   You can taste the crisp, browned bits of the buttery mushroom, the salty notes from the veggies and the depth from the wine in every bite.  We had to stop ourselves from getting a 2nd bowl full.  Served over creamy polenta to soak up all the sauce + enjoyed at our table with an n/a champagne I’ve been saving for a special occasion.  What can I say - it was a weeknight and a fresh bottle of red wasn’t gonna happen.  Regardless, I had more fun making this in my kitchen than I’ve had in a long time, and it felt sweet to share it with Jordan. Our first bourguignon!  It turned out so well & brought back so many happy memories - just the perfect at-home cooking experience.

 
 

For the bourguignon

  • 6 tbsp butter

  • 2 lbs mushrooms - a mix of cremini + white button, sliced

  • 8 oz. pearl onions, peeled

  • Salt + pepper

  • 1 leek, diced

  • 2 carrots, peeled + thinly sliced

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tbsp tomato paste

  • 2 1/2 tbsp flour

  • 1 1/2 c. red wine

  • 1 1/2 c. beed broth

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 heaping tbsp of fresh thyme

  • About 4 ounces of oyster mushrooms

For the polenta

  • 1/2 c. of polenta

  • 2 c. water

  • Salt + pepper

  • 1 tbsp butter

  • 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Start by getting out a large Dutch oven + place it over medium heat.  Add in 2 tbsp of the butter.  Once melted and sizzling, add in half of the sliced mushrooms and half over the onions.  Cook them until the mushrooms are browned + crispy - about 8-10 minutes only stirring at the half way point.  Transfer the mushrooms to a plate + repeat this process with the remaining mushrooms.  Once all the mushrooms have been browned + placed on a plate, reduce the heat to medium low and add in the rest of the butter.  Add in the leek, carrots, and garlic, cooking for about 5 minutes.  Add in the tomato paste, stir, and cook for another minute.  Stir in the flour, stirring so that it absorbs into the veggies, increase the heat to medium + deglaze the pan with the wine.  Work quickly to stir + scrape all of the browned bits off the bottom.  Then add in the broth, soy sauce + thyme.  Let the liquid simmer for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low, stir in the cooked mushrooms + onions, and over the pot.  Continue to cook the bourguignon over low heat for 30-40 minutes.

Move to making the polenta.  Add the water to a pot + place over medium-high heat.  Bring the water to a boil, and then slowly pour in the polenta while whisking the entire time to make sure you get no chunks.  Reduce the heat to medium-low + continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.  After 10 minutes, sprinkle in a pinch of salt + pepper, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pot.  Let the polenta continue to cook for 30 minutes.

Next, crisp up the remaining oyster mushroom.  Place another tbsp of butter in a separate skillet of butter over medium heat.  Once melted + bubbly, add in torn pieces of the mushrooms.  Cook the mushrooms about 4 minutes on each side to get them browned + crispy.  Season with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, + paprika.

Put the final touches on the polenta - stir in the butter + cheese until the butter has melted + polenta is nice and creamy.

To plate, scoop polenta into a large bowl + top with the bourguignon.  Top with some of the oyster mushroom pieces + any leftover thyme.  You’re all set.

Lesley ZehnerComment