This is the perfect dish for Autumn and you aren’t even going to notice you are eating vegan. I made this dish up as I went along, tasting and adjusting to extract maximum flavour. I suspect the brandy might be quite important in that respect! If you aren’t concerned about making it vegan you could use a good beef stock in place of the vegetable stock, Marmite and miso paste.
Ingredients (serves 2 - 3)
225g chestnut mushrooms
175 g cooked chestnuts (I used Merchant Gourmet)
150g heritage carrots (or substitute baby Chantonnay carrots or regular carrots chopped as required)
12 small shallots
150 ml vegetable stock (I used Marigold)
1 tsp Marmite (or Vegemite).
1/4 tsp brown miso paste
200ml red burgundy wine (you could substitute another red wine)
1 heaped tsp tomato puree
2 tbsp brandy
2 tsp sugar
2 heaped tsp cornflour
A small bunch of thyme tied with string
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
The Bourguignon just after Step 6.
Ingredients (serves 2 - 3)
225g chestnut mushrooms
175 g cooked chestnuts (I used Merchant Gourmet)
150g heritage carrots (or substitute baby Chantonnay carrots or regular carrots chopped as required)
12 small shallots
150 ml vegetable stock (I used Marigold)
1 tsp Marmite (or Vegemite).
1/4 tsp brown miso paste
200ml red burgundy wine (you could substitute another red wine)
1 heaped tsp tomato puree
2 tbsp brandy
2 tsp sugar
2 heaped tsp cornflour
A small bunch of thyme tied with string
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Clean the mushrooms, slicing in halves or quarters if they are large. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and pour the red wine over them. They have a tendency to bob onto the surface, so I put foil on them and weighed them down with a tin of beans. Leave for at least 3 hours or overnight. They will turn an alarming shade of purple/red (see photo below)!
- Add oil to a frying pan. Cook the whole peeled shallots in the oil until they become slightly golden. You are not trying to cook them through at this point. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Drain the mushrooms reserving the wine marinade. Pat the mushroom dry with kitchen paper. Add the mushrooms to the pan plus more oil if required. Cook the mushrooms gently for five minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve the Marmite and miso paste in 150ml of hot vegetable stock.
- Add the onions, chestnuts, stock, brandy, thyme and 100ml of the wine marinade to the pan. Bring to the boil briefly and then simmer gently for thirty minutes or until the shallots are tender. Add more of the wine marinade and water if necessary.
- Whilst the Bourguignon is simmering, cook the carrots. I boiled them, but I would suggest roasting them, as I think that would no only intensify flavour but retain their colour. If using regular chopped carrots or baby Chantonnay, you could add them to the Bourguignon in Step 4.
- Taste the Bourguignon sauce and add salt and pepper as required. Stir in the sugar. Dissolve the cornflour in a little cold water and add to the sauce. Simmer until thickened. You can add more cornflour if required.
- Add the carrots to the pan. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes.
The Bourguignon just after Step 6.
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