Title: Boeuf a la bourguignon with heartshaped croutons
 Categories: Taste
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      3 c  Dry red wine
      2 c  Beef stock or canned broth
    1/4 c  Marc de Bourgogne or
           Good-quality brandy
      1 lg Onion, chopped
      2 sm Carrots, chopped
      4    Garlic cloves, sliced
      1 ts Dried thyme
      1 ts Dried rosemary
     10    Peppercorns
     12    Parsley stems
      4    Whole cloves
      4    Allspice berries
      1    Bay leaf
      3 lb Beef chuck, cut into 2 inch
           Pieces
           Salt and pepper
    1/4 lb Slab bacon (rind removed and
           Reserved) sliced lengthwise
    1/4    Inch
           Thick, crosswise into pieces
    1/2    Inch wide
      2 tb Butter
      1 tb Oil
      1 tb Tomato paste
      1 lb Pearl onions
      4 tb Butter
        pn Sugar
      1 lb Button mushrooms
           Beurre Manie (equal parts
           Flour and softened butter,
           Mixed together, about
      1 tb Each)
           Heartshaped croutons:
      6 sl Firm white bread, crusts
           Removed, cut into heart
           Shapes
      3 tb Unsalted butter, melted
    1/4 c  Minced fresh parsley
 
  In a large bowl combine marinade ingredients and beef. Chill, covered,
  overnight. Drain beef, reserving marinade and vegetables separately;
  pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper.
  
  Preheat oven to 275/F. Cover bacon and rind with cold water, bring to
  a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Drain. In a large casserole set over
  moderate heat cook bacon lardons in butter and oil, stirring often,
  until golden. With a slotted spoon transfer lardons to paper towels
  to drain.
  
  In casserole over moderately high heat brown beef in bacon fat, in
  batches. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from casserole. Add
  reserved vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add
  reserved marinade liquid, tomato paste, reserved bacon rind and salt
  and pepper, bring liquid to a boil and cook in oven, covered, 3
  hours. Skim fat from stew and drain meat and vegetables, reserving
  cooking liquid. Return liquid and meat to casserole.
  
  Meanwhile make vegetable garnish: In a skillet cover onions with
  water, add 1 tablespoon of butter, sugar and salt and pepper to
  taste. Simmer onions until almost tender. Raise heat to high and
  reduce cooking liquid to 2 tablespoons. Continue to cook onions,
  shaking pan over heat, until golden brown and glazed. In a skillet
  set over moderately high heat, melt remaining butter and add
  mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook mushrooms, tossing
  often, for 7 minutes, or until firm. Add the onions and mushrooms to
  the casserole. Bring liquid in casserole to a simmer and add enough
  Beurre Manie, bit by bit, stirring constantly, to lightly thicken
  sauce.
  
  Make croutons: Brush both sides of bread with melted butter, arrange
  on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 F. oven until golden brown. Dip
  edges of bread in Bourguignon sauce and then in parsley.
  
  To serve: spoon meat and vegetables into shallow serving dishes and
  garnish with croutons.
  
  Yield: 6 servings