Here we catch up with Fable’s Chef Trevor Bird as he dishes out Valentine’s Day dinner advice and a recipe and wine pairing. GLV

From Chef Bird:

Valentine’s Day is a time to spend with your loved one. If you are looking for a nice romantic evening at home the best advice I can share is to be conscious of spending too much time in the kitchen. Make sure to pick a dish that doesn’t require too much focus during the cooking process. This will ensure you have plenty of time to interact with your guest while still impressing them with a delicious home cooked meal.

One pot dishes are perfect for evenings like Valentine’s Day and one of my favourites is beef bourguignon. It’s a classic dish with lots of flavour that is very simple to prepare. The key is investing in a couple key ingredients that are the base for the overall dish; the beef and the wine.

When it comes to the beef I recommend speaking with your local butcher about your dish. He will be able to get you the freshest beef shoulder and cube it for you if you prefer.

You will also want to pick up a quality red wine for this dish. Remember that when cooking with a wine the alcohol burns off and all that remains is the flavour so you want to ensure it is a good one! This does not always mean buying the most expensive bottle, but one of good value. I often like to match what wine I will be drinking with what I cook with so my palate isn’t skewed.

George Wyndham Founder’s Reserve Shiraz, is a perfect wine for this dish and selling for $18.99 as it is a great value at the price point. It is a full bodied, luscious wine with a rich mid-palate that is supported by fine velvety tannins, integrated oak nuances, ripe plum and blackberry fruit flavours perfect for a hearty beef dish like this. Investing in these key ingredients will ensure the right flavour profiles and textures.

Now on to the cooking!

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients will you need:

Beef shoulder cubed – 5lbs

Onions diced – 2 ea

Carrots – 2 ea

Celery – 2 ea

George Wyndham Founder’s Reserve Shiraz – 500ml (1 bottle)

Veal stock – 2L

Thyme – 1 bunch

Garlic – 4 cloves

Red wine vinegar – 1 tbs

Mushrooms – 5 lbs

Salt & pepper – to taste

Grape seed oil – 100ml

Flour – 2 tbs

Procedure:                                        

Season beef with salt and pepper.

Turn a large pot on high heat, add in oil, when oil begins to smoke add in meat.

Color meat till golden brown on all edges and sides remove and turn down the heat to medium.

Add in carrots onion celery mushrooms and garlic, season with a small pinch of salt and tbs of water.

Put a lid on a sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes, remove lid and color vegetables till brown.

Add in flour and cook for 1 minute.

Add in George Wyndham Founder’s Reserve Shiraz and reduce until almost dry (should be very thick). Add in veal stock, thyme and beef.

Cook over low heat 2-3 hours, till the beef is very tender.

Put into a bowl, pour yourself a big glass of Wyndham shiraz and enjoy with your special someone. No one says Valentine’s Day has to be complicated!