This is my Ibiza twist on a classic boeuf bourguignon inspired by the über fabulous Julia Child’s and this recipe has been adapted from her Mastering the Art of French Cooking book.

Even though the sun is shining in Ibiza we still get those winter comfort food cravings I thought it would be apt to incorporate some typical Spanish/Ibicencan ingredients here: a good ol’ Rioja, a glug of port, chorizo, smoked paprika, Ibiza pink peppercorns (which I’m slightly obsessed with at the moment) and wild rosemary and thyme.

A good boeuf bourguignon is a bit of a labour of love. All you need is good marinade liquid (being the Rioja and port) and a little patience. The initial time taken is in the marinade – the longer the better, 24 hours is preferable to really allow all the lovely flavours to truly sink in. The actual cooking time is also lengthy, being at least three hours slow cooking…but it’s so worth it.

The divine blend of melt in the mouth beef slowly simmering in red wine, herbs and spices provides the deepest layering of flavours – the chorizo and sweet paprika adds a stunning sweet smokiness and a distinctive rich flavour that I believe a classic boeuf bourguignon cannot somehow deliver – sorry my French friends! 

The perfect partner for this recipe has to be mash mash creamy mash. To keep it tasting deliciously earthy with a touch of heat, I have gone for a luxurious celeriac horseradish mash. I love celeriac; I adore the gentle flavour – a hint of celery, combined with the texture of a potato. Under its gnarled knobbly, ugly skin lies a thing of beauty. a soft pale flesh which makes a stunning mash. I like to grate extra raw horseradish over the top for a bit of bite and extra kick – beef and horseradish oh happy days!

As a stew, with mash or in a pie it’s a great do ahead recipe – perfect for entertaining or for a night in front of the fire.

Forgot to mention…it makes a blimmin awesome pie filling – certainly well worth a try.

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

For the marinade

1kg shin of beef (or stewing steak), cut into 2 inch pieces

3/4 bottle of Rioja (or red wine of your choice)

200ml Port

2 large sprigs fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon pink peppercorns (or black if you can’t get them)

For the stew

20g wild mushrooms

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 sticks celery

200g good quality chorizo, diced into 2cm chunks

1 tablespoon plain flour

1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika

400ml good quality beef stock

2 teaspoons tomato puree

200g chestnut mushrooms (or mushrooms of your choice)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch salt

For the celeriac mash

1.5 kg celeriac – peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

25g fresh grated horseradish, or to taste

25g butter

100ml single cream

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Put all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl and add the beef. Leave for at least 6 hours to marinade (24 hours is the best)
2. Soak the wild mushrooms in a little bowl with warm water.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, drain the beef from the marinade (keep the marinade) now brown the beef in batches, so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the meat and set aside.
4. Add the onion and celery to the pan and fry until softened, add the chorizo until fat runs into the onion. Add the paprika, wild mushrooms and chestnut mushrooms.
5. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour over the wine marinade and stirring constantly bring to the boil. Stir in the beef stock and tomato puree.
6. Return the beef to the pan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with a tight fitting lid and very gently simmer for at least three hours, or until the meat is tender – check during the cooking time to ensure that the meat doesn’t become too dry.
7. Meanwhile, for the mash, boil the celeriac in a pan of boiling, salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain well. In a clean pan gently melt butter and cream. Return the drained celeriac to the pan, add the horseradish and mash until creamy. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Serve with additional grated horseradish if you want an added kick.