My inspiration for this stew was the classic French onion soup, which is usually made with meat stock and onions and served with a crown of bread and gratinéed cheese. I love the flavour profile – the onions, thyme and mustard elevate the stew. You can omit the mustard if you want to serve it as a soup.

  • Serves

    4

  • Cook Time

    02 h 00 m

    Plus 15 mins to prep

Ingredients

  • 1 kg buff rump, cubed
  • 1 kg onions, sliced into rings
  • 200 ml red wine
  • 50 ml oil
  • 5-6 garlic cloves 
  • 2 bay leaves
  • A few peppercorns
  • A spoonful of Dijon mustard
  • A few sprigs of fresh thyme
  • Salt to taste

Preparation

  1. Heat a large frying pan to very hot. Season buff cubes with some salt and sear them a few at a time until nicely browned. Set aside.
  2. Deglaze pan with red wine and set aside.
  3. Pour oil into a large pan, toss in onion rings, and cook until they soften and reduce to about half the volume.
  4. Add garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, red wine, a spoonful of mustard, and buff. Allow everything to cook till buff is tender.
  5. Season and serve this rich French onion-style buff stew with mashed potatoes.
Written by

Viraf Patel

Viraf Patel, one of India’s most exciting young chefs, is Scroll Food’s Chef of the Month for July. His culinary adventures, which began fairly early in life, have taken him from Zur Rossweid in Zurich to some of the finest dining establishments in India. Over a career spanning 20 years, he has worked at, or consulted with, Indigo, The Table, The Tasting Room, Salt Water Grill, among other places. He was the Chef-Partner at Café Zoe, before joining Olive Bar & Kitchen in Mumbai as the Executive Chef. His food philosophy is rooted in his belief in truly honest cooking. With a deep knowledge of ingredients and applications, he works to make recipes relevant to our age.

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