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The Afternoon Show
The Afternoon ShowRTÉ One, Weekdays, 4.00pm

Beef Bourguignon and Mouth Watering Meringues with Noel Mc Meel

Friday, 16 January 2009

Beef bourguignon
Ingredients

  • 700g/11/2 lb Rump steak, cut into 5cm/2in cubes
  • 500ml/17½fl oz red wine
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 175g/6oz bacon lardons
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 med carrot, sliced
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 30g/1oz plain flour
  • 30g/1oz tomato purée
  • 300ml/1/2 pint game stock, or beef stock
  • 50g/2oz butter
  • 16 small shallots
  • 300g/10½oz button mushrooms

To serve
Handful fresh parsley, flat or curly chopped
New seasoned baby boiled potatoes

Method
1. Place the beef, red wine, thyme, bay leaf and garlic into a large bowl. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/Gas 3.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and fry until crisp and golden-brown.
4. Remove the beef from the marinade. Reserve the marinade liquid for later. Add the beef to the pan and cook until brown on all sides. Remove the beef from the pan.
5. Add the onion and carrot to the same pan and fry for 5-6 minutes, until softened.
6. Return the beef to the pan and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
7. Sprinkle with the flour, stir well and cook for a further two minutes.
8. Add the tomato purée, stir to combine and cook for four minutes.
9. Add the wine marinade and the game (or chicken stock) and bring to the boil.
10. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for two hours.
11. Towards the end of the cooking time, melt half of the butter in a frying pan over a low heat. Add the shallots and fry for 10-12 minutes, until golden-brown all over.
12. In a separate frying pan, melt the remaining butter and fry the mushrooms until golden-brown all over.
13. Remove the beef casserole from the oven and carefully strain the sauce into a clean pan. Reserve the beef and vegetables. Bring the sauce to the boil and cook to reduce the volume by half.
14. Return the reserved beef and vegetables to the pan of reduced sauce and add the cooked shallots and mushrooms. Simmer for three minutes, stirring occasionally.
15. To serve, spoon equal portions of the beef bourguignon onto warmed plates. Garnish with parsley and serve with baby boiled potatoes.
Hit Two:
Note; Noel will have store bought meringues here and will show how to make two different types of fillings.

Mixed Berry and Lavender Honey Fool with Crushed meringues

Ingredients

  • 175/6oz castor sugar
  • 225g/8oz mixed berries
  • 600ml/1 pint double cream
  • 2 egg whites, optional (see note)
  • 2 individual meringues, or meringue nests
  • 30-45ml/2-3 tbsp Lavender Honey or 1 vanilla pod
  • caster sugar, to taste

Method
1. Place the mixed berries & sugar in a pan with 50ml/2fl oz water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook gently for about 15-20 minutes, or until the berries have turned to a thick, chunky purée. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. Whisk the cream until softly whipped and light and fluffy.
3. If using, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
4. Crush the meringues into small pieces.
5. Place 1tblsp of the berry mix in the bottom of the glasses, place the rest of the mixed berry mix in a bowl, add the whipped cream and fold in, then add honey to taste.
6. Finally, fold in the egg whites if using and the crushed meringues. If necessary add caster sugar to sweeten to taste.
7. Spoon the fool into glasses and serve straight away.

Note:
Also, if using the raw egg whites, because of the slight risk of salmonella poisoning, raw egg should be avoided by the sick, the elderly, the very young and pregnant women.

Chocolate Amaretto & Coffee Fool with Crushed meringues


Ingredients
Coffee essence:

  • 2 level tsp instant coffee, 100ml(31/2fll oz) hot water,100g/4oz castor sugar, 50ml(2floz) espresso coffee (optional)
  • 225g/8oz single cream
  • 225g/8oz dark chocolate
  • 600ml/1 pint double cream
  • 2 egg whites, optional (see note)
  • 2 individual meringues, or meringue nests
  • 30-45ml/2-3 tbsp amaretto

Method
1. Heat the single cream till it is hot, take of heat, add chocolate and mix till chocolate had been infused. Add the amaretto and mix, leave to cool.
2. Whisk the cream until softly whipped and light and fluffy.
3. If using, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
4. Crush the meringues into small pieces.
5. Add all the ingredients together for the coffee mixture, leave to cool. In a bowl, add the whipped cream and fold in the cool coffee mixture, then add half of the chocolate mixture.
6. Finally, fold in the egg whites if using and the crushed meringues.
7. With half of the chocolate mixture, add 1tblsp into the bottom of each glass.
8. Spoon the fool into glasses and serve straight away.

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