Christmas Eve dinner - boeuf bourgignon I think - I need a kick-ass recipe and some ideas for a nice starter. Please!

[IHeartKingThistle]

We are having big family Christmas at ILs but they have had a tough time lately so DH has convinced them to let us cook the Christmas Eve dinner to take some of the pressure off. Lovely idea, lovely DH. Getting a bit stressed planning it now though!

I'd like to do a boeuf bourgignon (mainly because I do NOT do the kind of cooking that involves arranging stuff on plates) but I need the BEST recipe for the BEST one - MIL is a great cook and I don't want everyone wishing she had cooked instead! I have made it a couple of times but can't find the recipe I used.

Also, what would you do for a starter? Should be quite light, right? Crumble for pudding I think.

Would really appreciate some help!

Oh no, I was really counting on some replies!

I've never made it, hope someone helps you out soon. Good luck with it all.

This is the recipe I've used before and it was nice but I'm no expert.

www.food.com/recipe/boeuf-bourguignon-a-la-julia-child-148007?scaleto=4&mode=null&st=true

Sorry, I don't have a recipe but think its a perfect idea. Have you tried the BBC Good Food website? How about slow roasted tomatoes with mozarella and basil to start. Light, easy to do (can have both toms and stew in a low oven) and delicious. You and your DH sound lovely by the way!

thedaringkitchen.com/recipe/messieurs-dames-boeuf-bourguignon
This looks pretty good, but it may be the same as LeBeaver's as it is Julia Child's.

The BBC good food recipe by Gordon Ramsay has great reviews but I've not tried it personally.
I agree the starter should be light. Prawn or smoked salmon maybe? Or a naice salad

I made one a few weeks back. It was a mix of Delia and Gordon recipes. The main thing is to use really good quality beef (cheek, shoulder or shin) and a good burgundy.

I let the beef marinate overnight in wine with garlic, shallots, bay leaves and thyme.

I took out the meat and put it on the bbq to brown and then bunged it in a slower cooker with the burgundy marinade. Added one cup of veal stock, pancetta, diced flavourful mushrooms, a pinch of tomato purée, salt and pepper.

I cooked it for 12 hours and it was perfect!

Slow cooker, not slower cooker.

I agree with a light starter. I usually do a salad.

Blinis, smoked salmon, fish eggs, sour cream, lemon wedges, chopped red onion.

Ooh some great ideas! Can't prep in advance sadly as going straight from my parents to ILs on Christmas Eve. Any way I can cheat on the marinading?

Yes I have made it in the slow cooker very much along the lines of what Flatbread describes, I browned the meat in a frying pan. How many portions do you need? You might need to bung a huge casserole in the oven instead.

Marinating is good but not essential as I found out the day I forgot to defrost the meat in time! In my view the bay leaf is essential, I never bother with a proper bouquet garni but improvise with dashes of dried herbs.

That sounds good, I need to feed 10!