What better way to celebrate this year’s Bastille Day (La Fête Nationale) than with these delicious classic French recipes from Neven Maguire’s Complete Family Cookbook? Thank heaven for Neven!

Beef bourguignon

The secret to this French classic is to use a full bottle of wine and just a little stock to give another flavour dimension. It’s good enough to serve at a dinner party but also great for a family dinner, because once it’s cooking away, you’re free to do other things. This can also be cooked with great success in a slow cooker if you’re lucky enough to have one – just follow the manufacturer’s instructions for exact timings.

Ingredients

SERVES 4–6

25g (1oz) butter
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
350g (12oz) small shallots, peeled
100g (4oz) pancetta or rindless
streaky bacon, cut into small, thin lardons
675g (1½lb) chuck steak, cut into bite- sized pieces
50g (2oz) seasoned plain flour
1 bottle of Burgundy red wine
150ml (¼ pint) beef stock
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to garnish
225g (8oz) small chestnut mushrooms, trimmed
2 tbsp brandy
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
crusty French bread, to serve

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/gas mark 3).

2 Heat half of the butter and oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots and fry until they are just beginning to brown, then tip in the pancetta or bacon and fry until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.

3 Place the beef pieces in a ziplock bag with the seasoned flour. Shake until well coated, then remove, shaking off any excess. Add to the frying pan and fry until lightly golden on all sides. Transfer to a casserole with a lid.

4 Add a little of the red wine to the frying pan and scrape the bottom to remove any sediment, then pour this on top of the beef with the rest of the red wine and the stock, carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme. Add the sautéed shallots and pancetta and season to taste. Stir to combine, then cover with a lid and place in the oven for 2 hours, until the meat is tender but still holding its shape.

5 Halfway through cooking, heat the remaining oil and butter in a large frying pan and cook the mushrooms until just tender and lightly browned, stirring. Add the brandy and cook for another few minutes, then stir into the casserole and return to the oven for the remaining cooking time.

6 When the beef bourguignon is ready, season to taste and garnish with the thyme leaves. Serve straight to the table with a separate bowl of crusty French bread to hand around.

Ratatouille

This is my twist on the traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish that has its origins in Nice. Although it’s usually served as a side dish, this version is absolutely fantastic as a meal on its own with some crusty bread to mop up all the delicious juices. It would also work well as part of a barbecue spread and is lovely served at room temperature too so you’re not having to try to keep it hot.

Ingredients

SERVES 4

4 ripe plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 courgettes, thinly sliced (use a mix of yellow and green if possible)
1 aubergine, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to garnish
crusty bread, to serve (optional)

FOR THE SAUCE:

2 red peppers
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and cut into small dice, plus their juices
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
50ml (2fl oz) vegetable stock
pinch of saffron
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F/gas mark 8). Lightly grease a roasting tin with oil.

2 To make the sauce, cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and pith, then place them cut side down in the oiled tin. Roast for 20 minutes, until the skin has blistered, then remove and leave to cool. Turn the oven down to 160°C (325°F/gas mark 3).

3 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small pan over a low heat, then add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, until very soft but not browned. Stir in the tomatoes and thyme and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring regularly.

4 Peel the roasted peppers and cut into small dice, then add to the pan to soften along with the stock and saffron. Season to taste and stir in the balsamic vinegar.

5 Spread the sauce on the bottom of an ovenproof dish, then arrange the sliced vegetables on top. Mix the chopped garlic with the extra virgin olive oil and thyme leaves, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle this over the top. Cover tightly with tinfoil and put in the oven for 1½ hours, until the vegetables are tender to the point of a knife.

6 Remove the foil and cook for 30 minutes more – if the top starts to brown, cover the dish loosely with the foil again. If there is any liquid left in the dish after cooking, decant it into a small pan and reduce over a medium heat, then pour it back in. At this point it can be kept for a couple of days.

7 Just before serving, reheat if desired, then put the ratatouille under a hot grill until lightly browned. Garnish with thyme leaves and serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some crusty bread, if liked.

La Fête du 14 Juliet! Enjoy the celebrations from all of us at Gill Books.

Neven Maguire’s Complete Family Cookbook is available on our website, Eason, Amazon and in all good bookstores.

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