Boeuf Bourguignon, sans boeuf

Like many, reading Julie & Julia left me with a sudden urgency to take on some of Child’s most renowned creations. Though I don’t remember ever having boeuf bourguignon specifically, I do remember dinners of its cousin, coq au vin, and slightly more generic renditions of beef burgundy. And again, like countless others, I recall the burnt orange floral motif covering my mom’s 1961 copy of The Art of French Cooking, and the way she constantly referred to its crumpled pages.

Though I don’t own the cookbook (le sigh), it’s quite easy to come by a lot of Julia’s recipes these days, and I have many sites to credit for schooling me.

One major issue I had to tackle was the tiny, little, detail that I don’t eat meat, so making a beef centered meal obviously required some revisions. I strayed far from tofu or TVP, wanting to create a dish as complex and organic as the original; a dish brimming with real food, if you will. One of my favorite vegetarian stews comes from Veganomicon, which does use TVP, but also uses lentils alongside kidney beans; the result is a strangely robust cholent. I borrowed part of their idea, and added walnuts (for fat and texture) and dates (for sweetness).

I studied up on the fat content of Julia’s original dish, and since I didn’t want my adaptation to skimp on flavor or richness, I tried to add as much fat as I could consciously allow.

At first, I found it curious that Julie and Julia praise this dish as one to serve company; I wouldn’t exactly call it aesthetically pleasing, but then again, the very scent of its slow-cooking will bring strangers to your door, wondering what it is and when they might have a taste. Plus, it reheats like an absolute charm. Obviously, I defeated my own objection.

If you are wary of this combination of ingredients, I encourage you to alter it (and then tell me, of course). Here, the dates melt into the sauce, leaving a most pleasant underpinning of intricate sweetness. The walnuts, softened considerably thanks to the soaking, add a slight and occasional chew.

While I tried to replicate the steps of the original as best as possible, make this your own. I’ve come to believe the key to this dish belongs to the method, order of operations, and initial quality of the ingredients. Other than that, have at it! The sauce will fully encompass the tastes of your choosing.

Boeuf Bourguignon, sans boeuf

(Beef Bean Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon Dates, Onions and Mushrooms)

Derived from Julia Child
Vegetarianized by CinnamonQuill

In place of bacon lardons:
4 oz whole, pitted dates (about 3/4 cup)
1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon minced onion (dried or fresh)
1 teaspoon ground rosemary
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Hot water

Slice each date lengthwise into four pieces, then crosswise into four pieces. Combine spices + vinegar in bowl, add dates, and fill bowl with hot water. Let soak 1-2 hours.

In place of the beef:
1 cup walnuts, soaked in hot water for 2+ hours, then drained
2 cups cooked brown or French lentils (cook with bay leaves for extra flavor)
1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or make them from scratch, if you are awesome)

Remaining ingredients:
Olive oil
Butter (I used clarified butter)
1 1/4 cups sliced carrots
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2-3 cups red wine
2-3 cups vegetable broth (I used 1 1/2 of these Rapunzel bouillon cubes)
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 whole cloves garlic
2 minced cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme (fresh would be great)
2 Tablespoons flour (I used 1 Tablespoon corn flour + 1 Tablespoon potato flour)
1 teaspoon ground rosemary
Fresh parsley and/or thyme for garnish

For the onions + mushrooms:
30ish small white onions (enough to fill up your skillet)
1 lb small white mushrooms, washed and thoroughly dried
Butter (I used clarified butter)
Olive Oil
Brown Sugar
Red Wine
Tamari or Bragg’s amino acids
Dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325F.

Drain date pieces, reserving the liquid. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil + 1 tablespoon of butter in skillet; add drained date pieces and saute about 5 minutes, careful not to allow them to burn. Transfer to a dutch oven.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter in skillet, add kidney beans + lentils until they get slightly browned. Add corn + potato flour, and stir, until beans are well coated. Transfer bean mixture to dutch oven with date pieces.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in skillet, add vegetables (carrots, onions) + walnuts. Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar + 1/2 tablespoon tamari/Bragg’s and cook over medium, until onions have begun to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer mixture to dutch oven.

Stir 2 cups of red wine + 2 cups of vegetable broth + reserved date marinade into dutch oven. Make sure mixture is thoroughly covered with liquid; if not, add more wine/broth. Add tomato paste, minced garlic, whole garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary.

Place dutch oven, uncovered, in lower half of oven, and bake for one hour. After one hour, stir stew; if liquid is not covering mixture, add more wine/broth. Taste kidney beans; make sure they are not getting dried out from lack of liquid. Cover and return dutch oven to bake for another hour. (And, if you are anything like me, feel free to obsessively open and close the oven, stir mixture constantly, and exhibit positive anxiety over your pending bourguignon experience.)

Meanwhile, prepare onions + mushrooms according to the original instructions (Links to original cookbooks scans). I did this by taste, essentially, but for the onions, I added brown sugar/tamari as needed to obtain a bit of caramelization and proper ‘browning’. For the mushrooms, I used red wine in place of the broth.

Add mushrooms + onions to stew. Taste several times over, adjusting seasonings as needed. If stew seems dry, add more wine/broth and bring to a simmer. I chose to leave it a bit thick, but you may wish to thin it, depending on how you plan to serve it.

Garnish with parsley/thyme and serve alongside fingerling potatoes, noodles, or rice.

Click here for a printable PDF of the recipe only.

Have you pleasantly endured (or not…) any Julia Child fueled kitchen inspiration lately? Do tell.