As we move into the Christmas season, putting Thanksgiving in our rearview mirrors, I’m reminded of something the late cooking instructor Francoise DeMarks, a French transplant I met at an event in Colorado, once said of her cooking students.
Whenever she taught a dish that was new, at least one of them was sure to say that he or she was going to make it for a dinner party the following weekend.
She admired that adventurous spirit because such a notion would never even occur to most of those in the small town she grew up in in Southern France. A meal offered to guests outside the family would be one they’d made hundreds of times, she said. One would never use guests as guinea pigs.
Well, as admirable as it may be, there’s a fine line between being adventurous and foolhardy. That tendency to play it safe with a party menu has a lot going for it, especially in this busy season of parties and other gatherings when we have so many things to think about other than having to worry if guests will like the new dish you’ve decided to make.
Remember: We call it “giving” a party for a reason. A party is - or should be - an occasion for being generous, not for showing off. Our focus ought to be on making our company feel welcomed and loved, not on how clever we can be.
Instead of trying to dazzle with something new and different, maybe the thing to do is rediscover something comfortable and beloved, like this lovely old standby - meatballs warming in a chafing dish swimming in a rich, flavorful bourguignon sauce. It’s a dish that always seems welcome on a cocktail buffet, especially on a blustery winter’s evening. Meatballs in bourguignon sauce may be a bit retro and go in and out of fashion, but as long as they taste good, what does that matter?
These can also be offered as a main dish with buttered noodles or boiled potatoes.
Meatballs in Bourguignon Sauce
For the meatballs:
• 2 thick slices firm, home-style bread
• Whole milk
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1/4 cup finely minced yellow onion
• 1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and whole black pepper in a mill
• Olive or vegetable oil
For the sauce:
• 2 slices extra-thick-cut bacon, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed, peeled, and minced
• 2 ounces crimini or baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups French burgundy or pinot noir
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 rounded Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. fresh or 1 Tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees. Put the bread in a large mixing bowl and drizzle enough milk over it to saturate it. Let it soak for one minute, or until the bread is well-saturated, then squeeze it dry, discarding the milk. Crumble the bread back into the bowl, then crumble in the beef. Add the onion, garlic, a large pinch of salt and a liberal grinding of pepper and mix well.
Generously rub a large-rimmed sheet pan with oil. Moisten your hands with water and shape the mixture into 1-inch balls, laying them on the prepared pan as you go with about 1/2-inch between. When all the meatballs have been shaped and placed on the pan, bake them in the center of the oven until they’re nicely browned, about 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: put the bacon in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until it’s browned and its fat is rendered. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about two minutes. Add the carrot and sauté two minutes longer. Add the mushrooms and sauté until beginning to color, about two minutes, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about half a minute more.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until smooth and bubbly, then slowly stir in the wine and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the broth, bring it back to a simmer, and cook, still stirring, until thickened, about three or four minutes. Add the tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let it come back to a simmer and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to the sauce, allowing the excess fat to drain away while they’re still over the baking pan. Let it come back to a boil, and lower the heat to a slow, steady simmer. Loosely cover and simmer until the sauce is thick and the meatballs are infused with its flavor, about one hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
This can be made up to four days ahead: Cool, cover and refrigerate until needed, then gently reheat in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat or in a slow cooker set on high. Serve them from a chafing dish or a slow cooker set to warm.
Whenever she taught a dish that was new, at least one of them was sure to say that he or she was going to make it for a dinner party the following weekend.
She admired that adventurous spirit because such a notion would never even occur to most of those in the small town she grew up in in Southern France. A meal offered to guests outside the family would be one they’d made hundreds of times, she said. One would never use guests as guinea pigs.
Well, as admirable as it may be, there’s a fine line between being adventurous and foolhardy. That tendency to play it safe with a party menu has a lot going for it, especially in this busy season of parties and other gatherings when we have so many things to think about other than having to worry if guests will like the new dish you’ve decided to make.
Remember: We call it “giving” a party for a reason. A party is - or should be - an occasion for being generous, not for showing off. Our focus ought to be on making our company feel welcomed and loved, not on how clever we can be.
Instead of trying to dazzle with something new and different, maybe the thing to do is rediscover something comfortable and beloved, like this lovely old standby - meatballs warming in a chafing dish swimming in a rich, flavorful bourguignon sauce. It’s a dish that always seems welcome on a cocktail buffet, especially on a blustery winter’s evening. Meatballs in bourguignon sauce may be a bit retro and go in and out of fashion, but as long as they taste good, what does that matter?
These can also be offered as a main dish with buttered noodles or boiled potatoes.
Meatballs in Bourguignon Sauce
For the meatballs:
• 2 thick slices firm, home-style bread
• Whole milk
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1/4 cup finely minced yellow onion
• 1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and whole black pepper in a mill
• Olive or vegetable oil
For the sauce:
• 2 slices extra-thick-cut bacon, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed, peeled, and minced
• 2 ounces crimini or baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups French burgundy or pinot noir
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 rounded Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. fresh or 1 Tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees. Put the bread in a large mixing bowl and drizzle enough milk over it to saturate it. Let it soak for one minute, or until the bread is well-saturated, then squeeze it dry, discarding the milk. Crumble the bread back into the bowl, then crumble in the beef. Add the onion, garlic, a large pinch of salt and a liberal grinding of pepper and mix well.
Generously rub a large-rimmed sheet pan with oil. Moisten your hands with water and shape the mixture into 1-inch balls, laying them on the prepared pan as you go with about 1/2-inch between. When all the meatballs have been shaped and placed on the pan, bake them in the center of the oven until they’re nicely browned, about 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: put the bacon in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until it’s browned and its fat is rendered. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about two minutes. Add the carrot and sauté two minutes longer. Add the mushrooms and sauté until beginning to color, about two minutes, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about half a minute more.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until smooth and bubbly, then slowly stir in the wine and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the broth, bring it back to a simmer, and cook, still stirring, until thickened, about three or four minutes. Add the tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let it come back to a simmer and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to the sauce, allowing the excess fat to drain away while they’re still over the baking pan. Let it come back to a boil, and lower the heat to a slow, steady simmer. Loosely cover and simmer until the sauce is thick and the meatballs are infused with its flavor, about one hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
This can be made up to four days ahead: Cool, cover and refrigerate until needed, then gently reheat in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat or in a slow cooker set on high. Serve them from a chafing dish or a slow cooker set to warm.
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