Think of Burgundy and after you have finished thinking about (and hopefully drinking) some of the great wines of the area, you cannot help but think of Boeuf Bourgignonne, garlic-rich Escargots, wild mushrooms, parsleyed ham and glorious Charolais beef. Following are recipes for three of my favorite Burgundian dishes. The first two have been adapted from the excellent cookbook "French Country Cooking" by Albert and Michel Roux.

Snails Cooked in Chablis Wine
Escargots a la Chablisienne

72 snails (may use tinned), with their shells
300 ml. Chablis
2 shallots, chopped finely
1 bouquet garni made by tying together 2 sprigs of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme and 1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, unpeeled
250 gr. butter, at room temperature
6 - 8 cloves garlic, chopped very finely
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste
50 gr. breadcrumbs

In a saucepan heat the wine together with half the shallots, the bouquet garni and the unpeeled garlic clove. Boil for 5 minutes, add the snails and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. With a slotted spoon remove the snails and transfer to a bowl. Bring the liquids to a boil and cook until they are reduced by half and then pour the liquid over the snails. Mix and set aside.

To make the snail butter, cut the butter into small pieces, place in a bowl and work with a spatula until soft and creamy. Add the chopped garlic, the remaining shallots, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper and work together until the mixture is even throughout.

Place a small piece of the snail butter in each of the snail shells. To each place one snail, pushing in firmly and then top off with more snail butter. Distribute the snails in six special metal snail plates or in six small, low ovenproof casserole dish, making sure the butter side is facing up. Sprinkle each gently with breadcrumbs and place in an oven that has been heated to 240 degrees Celsius for 3 - 5 minutes (until the butter is bubbling). Serve the snails immediately, with lots of soft bread with which one can mop up the butter sauce. (Serves six or twelve as an appetizer).

Eggs Poached in Burgundy Wine
Oeufs Poches a la Bourgignonne

8 eggs
1 bottle Pinot Noir wine
60 gr. butter
20 gr. flour
1 bouquet garni (see above recipe)
6 peppercorns, crushed coarsely
12 thin slices from a baguette
60 gr. clarified butter
1 Tbsp. walnut oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the wine to a boil in a shallow pan. Break the eggs into the boiling oil, taking care to keep them whole, and poach them. When the eggs are done, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on absorbent toweling. Trim the edges of the eggs, cover with a damp cloth and set aside at room temperature. Strain the wine through filter paper and set aside for later use.

To make the sauce (known as sauce meurette) , heat half the butter in a small skillet. Stir in the flour and cook gently for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the skillet from the heat and slowly add the filtered wine, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Continue to whisk and place the skillet over a low flame and bring to a boil. Add the bouquet garni and crushed peppercorns and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring regularly.

Remove the pan off the heat, strain the sauce and then whisk in the remaining butter. Season to taste
With salt and set aside to keep warm.

Make croutons by heating the clarified butter in a skillet and in this fry the bread until just golden on both sides. In a separate skillet heat the oil and in this cook the onion slices gently until just pale golden in color.

Prepare the dish for serving by placing the onions over the croutons. On each crouton place an egg.
Warm the eggs in an oven that has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius for about 2 minutes. Place two eggs on each plate, pour over the sauce (be generous) and sprinkle the top with parsley. Serve immediately. (Serves 4 as a breakfast or brunch dish).

Beef Bourguignonne
Boeuf Bourguignonne

1 bottle dry red wine (ideally Burgundy or Beaujolais)
1/4 cup Cognac or other high quality brandy
1 large onion, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 bouquet garni made by tying together 2 sprigs of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme and 1 bay leaf
6 whole peppercorns
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 whole clove
generous pinch of salt
1 kilo lean beef, cut in 3 cm. Cubes
5 Tbsp. butter
250 gr. thickly sliced bacon, diced
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup beef stock
1 cup whole mushroom caps
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped, for garnish

In a glass or earthenware bowl make a marinade of the wine, brandy, onion, carrot, bouquet garni, garlic, peppercorns, clove, salt and olive oil. Place the beef cubes in the marinade, cover and let stand, chilled 24 - 36 hours, turning the meat occasionally.

Drain the beef, reserve the marinade and set the carrot and onion slices aside separately. Dry the beef on absorbent toweling.

In a flameproof casserole melt 3 Tbsp. of the butter and in this brown the beef a few pieces at a time.
Set the pieces aside, add the bacon and saute until browned but not crisp. Remove the bacon from the casserole and saute first the onions and then the mushrooms until tender and lightly browned. Remove.

Discard the excess fat from the casserole and add 8 Tbsp. of the marinade. Bring to a boil and stir well, scraping the bottom of the casserole, to dissolve the pan juices. Pour into a small bowl and reserve.

In the same casserole melt the remaining butter and in this saute the sliced onions and carrots until soft but not browned. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture is a deep brown. Stir in the remaining marinade, the juices from the casserole, the stock and salt and pepper to taste. Return the beef to the casserole and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce the flame and simmer until the meat is very tender (21/2 - 3 hours).

Transfer the beef to another flameproof casserole and strain the sauce over the beef. Add the bacon, onions and mushrooms and simmer until the onions are tender (about 15 minutes), stirring. Correct the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for 24 - 48 hours. Before serving reheat in a medium oven and serve directly from the casserole. Immediately before serving sprinkle over the parsley. (Serves 4 - 6).

© Daniel Rogov