Comfort Food Friday: Spruce up your beef bourguignon with the addition of cheesy garlic bread

With many of us looking for ways to revive old favourites by giving them a modern twist, Opies have devised some easy recipes which are winners.

A traditional dish has been transformed with the addition of simple store-cupboard ingredients from Opies to make delicious, family-friendly treats.

Here is a recipe for beef bourguignon with a cheesy garlic bread topping that is sure to satisfy your tastebuds.

Beef bourguignon with a cheesy garlic bread topping

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients

• 15g dried porcini
• 1kg beef shin, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 75g plain flour
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 jar Opies Pickled Walnuts, pickling liquor reserved
• 2 medium onions, cut into chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed whole
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 450ml red wine
• 1l beef stock
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ tsp thyme
• 1½ tsp sugar
• 200g carrots, peeled and chopped

For the cheesy garlic bread:

• 1 baguette, cut into slices diagonally
• 1 ball of mozzarella, diced
• 80g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 50g butter, softened
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F/Gas Mark 5. Add the porcini to a small bowl and cover with hot water then set aside. Season the beef very generously then toss in the flour to lightly coat.
2. Heat three tablespoons of the oil in a large oven-proof casserole dish on high.
3. Shake off the excess flour and add the beef, frying in batches until evenly browned. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
4. Deglaze the pan with four tablespoons of the reserved pickled walnut liquor to help loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, then drain the porcini and add the water to the pan too before roughly chopping the porcini. Add another tablespoon of oil, reduce heat to medium then add the onions and garlic, frying for 4-5 minutes before adding the beef, tomato puree, wine, beef stock, bay leaves, thyme, sugar and porcini. Stir, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for two hours.
5. Remove the dish from the oven and add the carrots, then cover and return to the oven for 1 hour or until the carrots are cooked through and the meat is tender.
6. Halve the pickled walnuts and place on top of the stew.
7. To make the cheesy garlic bread, combine the mozzarella, cheddar cheese, butter, garlic and parsley in a bowl. Season and spread the mixture over the baguette slices. Arrange the baguette slices on top of the stew so they overlap each other, and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
8. Remove, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

Hints and tips: This dish can be frozen – follow until step 5. Defrost thoroughly then add the cheesy garlic bread and reheat in the oven.