Le Véritable Boeuf Bourguignon

Preheat your oven to 170°C (150°C Fan). Take your beautiful chunks of game or steak, pat them dry, and season them generously with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Do not be shy here; seasoning is the foundation of flavor.

Heat two tablespoons of the sunflower oil in a heavy, large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Sear the beef in three separate batches. If you crowd the pan, the meat will steam instead of browning, and we want a gorgeous, deep-brown crust. Transfer the caramelized beef to a large, flameproof casserole dish as you go.

Pour a splash more oil into the same frying pan and fry the panchetta lardons for 2 to 3 minutes until they are beautifully crisp and golden. Scatter them over the beef in the casserole.

Lower the heat slightly, add a touch more oil if the pan looks dry, and gently sweat the chopped onion for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the crushed garlic for just one minute until fragrant, then transfer this aromatic mixture to the casserole.

Now, the magic happens. Take a decent bottle of wine! A good Cote du Rhone for exmaple. Pour the entire bottle of red wine over the meat and vegetables. Stir in the tomato purée and 150ml of cold water. Crumble the beef stock cube over the top, tuck in the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer on the hob. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven to braise slowly for 1.5 to 1.75 hours, until the beef is nearly tender.

While the oven does the heavy lifting, let us tackle the pearl onions. A clever trick: place them in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and let them sit for 5 minutes. Drain, and you will find the skins slip off with minimal fuss. Trim the root end very carefully so they do not fall apart during cooking.

Just before the beef is ready for its final stage, melt half of the butter with a drop of oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Sauté the peeled pearl onions over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until they are beautifully golden and caramelized all over. Set aside in a bowl. Melt the remaining butter in the same pan and fry the chestnut mushrooms over a high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornflour with the cold water until perfectly smooth. Remove the casserole from the oven, stir in this slurry, and then gently fold in the caramelized onions and mushrooms. Return the covered dish to the oven for another 45 minutes. When it emerges, the beef should be meltingly tender, and the sauce should be a rich, glossy velvet that coats the back of a spoon.

Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Scatter a generous handful of freshly chopped parsley over the top and serve immediately. Prachtig!