Method

Begin by preparing your vegetables. Peal the shallots and leaving them whole set aside. Peel and cut the carrot into large pieces an inch or so squared. Wash and cut the celery and leek into large chunks. Peel and cut the garlic roughly into 4 pieces and set aside along with the mushroom.

Now pre heat your oven to 160 degrees. Heat a large pan. Turn the beef pieces in a bowl along with the flour and plenty of salt and pepper. Add a little oil to the pan and place the beef in. Continue turning the beef until it is golden brown all over. Remove the beef and place it in a large casserole dish. Return the pan to the heat and add half the red wine to wash out all the flavors from the pan ("Deglaze") after simmering for a minute or so pour over the beef in the casserole dish.

After cleaning the pan return to the heat and a little oil. Now fry the smoked bacon and add to the casserole. Return the pan to the heat once more but be sure to keep all the bacon fat in it. Now add the vegetables to the pan and continue to turn them over a high heat until they begin to color. Now add the remaining wine to the pan and bring to the boil. Once it has boiled add all the vegetables and wine to the casserole. Now put the strained chick peas and all the whole can of tomatoes into the casserole along with the beef stock.

Cover the casserole with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for one and a half hours before removing the lid and continuing to cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and Serve

Boulangere Potatoes:

Peel and slice all the potatoes into thin rounds and do the same to the onion.

Grease an earthen wear dish and lay down a layer of potato slices on the bottom followed by a little seasoning and chopped thyme, then a few of the onion slices.

Continue layering like this until the dish is almost full.
Pour over the chicken stock until it just comes to the top of the potatoes.

Cover the dish with tin foil and place in a pre heated oven at 160 for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

To Present:
The whole idea of this dish is that it is kept simple yet full of flavour. Simply place in the centre of the table along with some hot plates and let everyone help themselves, Enjoy!