The First of Julia - Saute de Boeuf a la Parisienne

Beef Stroganoff was always my favourite dish as a child. We had it with white rice and green peas. I always ate it in the most awful way possible - mixing up the stroganoff, rice and peas together into a delicious mess on the plate. The last time I attempted to make beef stroganoff it was a tough, spectacular failure.

Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cookery" volumes I and II. For xmas from Simon. Now to see what Julia can do with Beef. Here is her interpretation. The steak is wonderful and tender (we used rump). Try to keep it pink in the middle, like any good piece of beef. This recipe is adapted from Julia Child's recipe. I did reduce the amount of butter a bit. It is amazingly rich, but also amazingly delicious.

1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp minced shallots or green onions

1/4 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper

2 1/2 lbs. filet of beef (we used rump steak) - cut into slices 1/2 inch by 2 inches

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup Madeira (I used sherry)

3/4 cup good brown stock

1 cup cream

2 tsp cornflour stirred into 1 tbsp of the cream

Salt and pepper

Chopped flat leaf parsley, to serve

Saute the mushrooms in a 9-10 inch enameled skillet in the first lot of oil and butter. Cook for 4-5 minutes to brown lightly. Stir in the shallots or onions and cook for another minute. Season well and then decant onto a plate.

Place the second batch of oil and butter into the pan over moderately high heat. When the butter foam subsides, saute the beef, a few pieces at a time until brown on the outside, but still rosy red in the middle. Remove to a plate. Discard the sauteing fat.

Add in the Madeira and then the stock. Boil down rapidly, scraping up all the delicious bits on the bottom of the pan. Boil until reduced to about 1/3 a cup. Beat in the cream and then the cornflour mixture. Add the mushrooms and simmer for a minute more. The sauce should have thickened a bit. Taste now for seasoning.

Season the beef the return to the skillet with any juices that have leaked onto the plate. Baste the beef with the sauce and mushrooms. Sprinkle with the parsley to serve.

Make sure you have something on hand to mop up the juice - bread, rice, pasta. We had a really fresh green salad and crusty white bread.