Very
often in French comfort food, like Boeuf Bourguignon (beef stew In
red wine), Coq au Vin (chicken in red wine), Poulet Roti (roasted
chicken), etc., you will see mushrooms and pearl onions among the
ingredients. You might think that all the vegetables were cooked
together, but in fact it's not what it appears; they're actually
supposed to be cooked separately! Some of the ingredients such as the
onions and celery are typically discarded after cooking, since they
tend to get mushy. Once the sauce of the dish is ready, this is when
you add the garnishes with everything else before serving.
I
love how in French cuisine you add garnishes to have the right
texture. It's more work, more time, and even a little wasteful, but
to me, that is the art and beauty of the classic French cooking -
everything is cooked to perfection. Here, I'll show you how to make
two of the most classic garnishes: sauteed mushrooms in butter and
caramelized pearl onions. You can even make them ahead of time and
just add them to your dish before reheating!
