Fast, Faux Burgundian

It’s nice to dream about making the classic braised French dish, beef Burgundy--marinating the beef in red wine for 12 hours, simmering a braising stock, sauteing all the garnishes. But who feels like working so hard? Here’s a quick version that uses up leftover roast beef.

If you have leftover steamed potatoes, reheat them to accompany this dish. Otherwise, broad egg noodles cooked and then tossed with butter makes a fine accompaniment. Serve a green salad, some crusty bread and a nice glass of red wine, then imagine yourself in a French bistro.

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Morgan is author of “Cooking for the Week: Leisurely Weekend Cooking for Easy Weekday Meals” (Chronicle Books, $18.95).

Quick Beef Burgundy

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes

3 cups dry red wine

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 pound large white mushrooms, quartered

30 frozen pearl onions (about 6 ounces), thawed

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can beef broth

2 cloves garlic, whole

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

18 peeled baby carrots

1 tablespoon flour

1 pound rare roast beef, thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup minced parsley

Freshly ground pepper

* Simmer the wine and shallots in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan until reduced by half. Set them aside.

* Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes longer. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the broth, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer until the broth is reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Add the wine mixture and carrots. Adjust the heat to medium and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 6 minutes.

* In a small bowl, mix together the flour and the remaining tablespoon of butter until thoroughly blended. Add the beef and parsley to the pan. Stir in the butter-flour mixture and cook, stirring, until it’s completely absorbed and the sauce is thickened. Add pepper to taste.

* Remove the garlic and the bay leaf before serving. Serve the beef with buttered egg noodles or steamed new potatoes.

4 to 5 servings. Each of 5 servings: 399 calories; 630 mg sodium; 92 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 30 grams protein; 4.25 grams fiber.