Instructions: In a frying pan, heat a little oil. When the oil is very hot, add the butter and then the pieces of meat to colour well. If you have a small pan, then do this in two or three stages. Once the meat has coloured, remove from the pan and place into a large saucepan.

In the same frying pan, add the shallots and sweat them for 2 minutes

(but do not allow to colour). Add the mushrooms and sweat for a further 3 minutes, until they are slippery in texture. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Now add the wine and port, scrape the bottom of the frying pan to deglaze, then pour into the saucepan with the browned meat. Reduce the wine slowly by half.

Next add the chicken stock, tarragon, black peppercorns, cream and thyme, and season with a little salt. Bring to the boil, and reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 hours. If the sauce becomes too thick during cooking, then thin down with water. Once the meat is cooked, use a slotted spoon to take out the meat. Bring the sauce to the boil, skim, and reduce to a consistency that coats the back of a spoon.

Adjust the seasoning, and add the meat back to the sauce.

For the garnish, cook the button onions in water, butter and a pinch of sugar. Let the water reduce complete to glaze the onions. Lightly fry the blanched bacon and drain from its fat. Finally, fry the button mushrooms in butter.

Now add the garnish to the beef and leave to stew through together before serving. The dish can be garnished with some carrot batons and green beans to make a complete main course.

Wine

Note:
This dish cries out for a really great bottle of Burgundy to accompany it, a classic Pinot Noir at its silkiest and classiest. However, another match for this great regional dish is with a Tuscan classic, Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico Riserva. The elegant and restrained fruit of the Sangiovese marries excellently with the dish without overpowering it.

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