beef bourguignon with baguette dumplings

this was amazing.

i saw this recipe in precious rachel khoo's darling, darling cookbook and just about died simply from reading the name of the recipe. it's a slight twist on the ultimate french classic, and OH MAN is it wonderful. the real standouts are the baguette dumplings, which are unlike anything i'd had before. but this will not be the last this little kitchen sees of these dumplings - i see them going along several meals in our future, like this pork ragu or a bowl of tomato soup.

this would be a killer christmas dinner. it's really perfect for any special dinner. or even for a weekday night spent watching the mindy project, which is how we enjoyed it. it really doesn't matter when you make this; just that you do.

beef bourguignon with baguette dumplings (adapted from the little paris kitchen)
serves 4-6

you'll need:
2 lbs. beef stew meat
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 pieces bacon
10 frozen pearl onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon clove powder
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus a couple more tablespoons reserved for garnish
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
10 cremini mushrooms

...and for the dumplings...
1 baguette (stale bread is best for this, but if all you have is fresh, don't fret. your dough will be stickier. but it will still taste delicious. you can trust me because mine was fresh - who just lets a yummy baguette sit around for a couple days?! - and it was juuust fine. i'll stop talking now.)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 cup milk
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, for frying

ok, let's do this! preheat the oven to 300F.

dust meat with flour so all sides are coated. heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over high heat, and fry the meat in batched until browned. set aside browned beef, and add the bacon and onions, and cook until browned. add the garlic. add in pepper, clove powder, bay leaf, parsley, rosemary and thyme, and return the beef to the pain. add 1 1/4 cup of water, the wine, tomato paste, mushrooms, salt and sugar. make sure you're scraping the bottom of the pan as this all cooks together - that's where the flavor is! cover the pot and place in the oven for 3 hours.

now it's time to make the dumplings! in a small saucepan, heat milk until it's boiling. while it's heating, cut the baguette into small cubes and place in a bowl along with the chopped parsley. once the milk is boiling, take it off the heat and immediately pour over the bread. stir so the milk is absorbed, then cover and let sit for 15 minutes.

once 15 minutes is up, uncover and season the bread mixture with nutmeg, salt and pepper. stir in the egg and mix in 1 tablespoon of the flour. if the mixture seems too wet, add a second tablespoon of flour. using your hands, form about 12 dumplings (wet hands will help prevent a sticky mess!) and place them on a baking sheet in the refrigerator until ready to fry.

when the beef is almost done, it's time to fry the dumplings! heat about a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. fry dumplings until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

remove beef from the oven. check for seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste. serve in bowls with dumplings and chopped parsley on top.

it's just. so. good.

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