France Baeckeoffe (Baker’s Oven)
One of the most popular French casseroles, baeckeoffe originated in the Alsace region that borders Germany. The name of the dish means “baker’s oven” and references the practice of Alsatian women who circumvented the prohibition against work on the Sabbath by preparing this dish on Saturday and giving it to their local baker to cook in the bakery’s cooling ovens until the end of church services on Sunday. This long-cooking one-pot stew is the ultimate flavorful French meal. Recipe Servings: Serves 10
Prep Time
30 minutes
+ 12 hours resting
+ 12 hours resting
Cook Time
4 hours
Total Time
16 hours 30 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
- 2 small leeks, white and pale green parts finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp (5 ml) whole juniper berries
- 2 tsp (10 ml) finely chopped fresh thyme
- 3 Tbsp (12 g) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 3 cups (750 ml) dry white wine
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/4-inch (3-cm) chunks
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless pork butt, trimmed and cut into 1 1/4-inch chunks
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
- salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 4 lb (1.8 kg) russet potatoes, peeled
Directions
- In a large, sealable plastic bag, combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil and potatoes. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Turn the bag over three times during the marinating process.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
- Grease a large casserole dish with olive oil.
- Slice the potatoes into thin segments. Using about half of the potatoes, cover the bottom of the casserole dish with a layer of sliced potatoes.
- Separate the meat and vegetables from the marinade and set aside both parts for use.
- Arrange the meat and vegetables on top of the layer of potatoes.
- Place the remaining potatoes in another layer on top of the filling.
- Pour the marinade over the potatoes until the top layer of potatoes is submerged. If necessary, add extra wine or water.
- Bring the liquid to a simmer on the stovetop in the covered casserole dish.
- Move the dish to the oven and bake the baeckeoffe for 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender.
- Serve hot.
Copyright © 1993—2024 World Trade Press. All rights reserved.