Boeuf Bourguignon

This is another hearty beef stew, in the French style that I adapted from Craig Claiborne, The New York Times Cookbook, 1961.

Ingredients

Roll the beef cubes in flour, and brown them on all sides in a skillet over high heat in four tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper, pour the cognac over it, and ignite. When the flame dies, transfer meat to a 3-quart casserole. Preheat oven to 350° F. In the skillet, add 3 T. olive oil, garlic, carrots, leeks, chopped onions, and 2 T. parsley. Cook until vegetables are lightly browned. Transfer to the casserole with the meat, and add the bay leaf, thyme, Burgundy, and enough water to barely cover the meat. Cover, and bake for 1.5 hours. Prepare a beurre manié by blending one T. each oil and flour and stir into the casserole bit by bit. Return the casserole to the oven and continue cooking 3 hours. Brown the onions in 2 T. oil with a dash of sugar. Add a little water, cover, and cook until the onions are tender. Sauté the mushrooms in 2 T. oil until lightly brown. Sprinkle with lemon and brown a bit more. To serve, add onions to casserole and garnish with mushrooms and remaining parsley.
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