November 12, 2025
Beef Bourguignon with Creamy Mash
Beef Bourguignon with Creamy Mash
There are few dishes more comforting than a slow-cooked Beef Bourguignon — rich, deep, and quietly luxurious. This version is all about patience, good ingredients, and letting time do the work. Paired with creamy, buttery mash, it’s French farmhouse cooking at its finest — hearty, elegant, and deeply satisfying.
Print Pin RateServings: 6
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Ingredients
For the Bourguignon
- 1.5 kg beef chuck or shin cut into generous cubes
- 750 ml good red wine
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Small bunch parsley stalks
- 1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
- 120 g smoked streaky bacon or pancetta diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 celery stick diced
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 400 ml rich beef stock
- 1 tbsp brandy optional, but beautiful
- 200 g baby onions or shallots peeled
- 250 g button mushrooms halved
- 25 g butter
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped parsley and a little orange zest to finish
For the Creamy Mash
- 1.2 kg floury potatoes Roosters or Maris Piper work perfectly
- 100 ml whole milk
- 100 ml double cream
- 75 g butter
- Sea salt and white pepper
Instructions
Marinate the beef.
- Place the beef in a large bowl with the wine, garlic, thyme, parsley stalks, and cracked peppercorns. Cover and marinate overnight — this gives depth and tenderness.
Brown the base.
- The next day, strain the beef, reserving the wine. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper (this helps it brown beautifully). In a heavy casserole dish, fry the bacon until golden and crisp. Remove and set aside.
Build the flavour.
- Add a little olive oil to the same pan and brown the beef in batches. Don’t rush this step — it’s where the flavour builds. Set aside.
Soften the vegetables.
- In the same pan, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden. Stir through the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes to caramelise.
Deglaze and simmer.
- Pour in the reserved wine, beef stock, and brandy if using. Return the beef and bacon to the pan. Season lightly, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook gently for 2½–3 hours until the beef is meltingly tender.
Finish the garnish.
- In a separate pan, glaze the baby onions in butter with a pinch of sugar and splash of water until golden and soft. Sauté the mushrooms in butter until lightly browned.
Bring it all together.
- Add the glazed onions and mushrooms to the casserole. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to let the sauce reduce and gloss. Finish with chopped parsley and a whisper of orange zest for brightness.
Creamy Mash
- Boil peeled potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain well and allow them to steam dry for a few minutes. Pass through a potato ricer or mash until smooth. Warm the milk and cream together, stir into the potatoes with the butter, and season generously with sea salt and white pepper.
To serve:
- Spoon a generous mound of creamy mash into warm bowls and ladle the glossy Bourguignon over the top. Scatter with parsley — a bowl of slow-cooked comfort that tastes like care and calm.