“Now don’t freak out, but here’s a recipe for tea bourguignon. Like bourguignon for tea, but a little more exciting. The pedant in me thinks I can’t exactly get away with calling this vegan heap of deliciousness a ‘bourguignon’, given that it doesn’t have any beef or wine in it, but the rebel in me is shrugging her shoulders and recalling the hundreds of recipes I’ve cooked so far on this journey that deviate deliciously from their traditions and origins, and besides, ‘mushroom stew’ just doesn’t have the same oh-no-she-didn’t ring to it,” explains cook and recipe writer, Jack Monroe.

“For a while now, some of my readers have been asking what they can replace wine with in my recipes; either they don’t have it, or it’s too much of an outlay to go and buy a bottle just to use a splash here and there (and if anyone understands that, I do!). Well, my science head said one day that maybe strong black tea would give the same effect, and then by happy coincidence someone suggested it on one of my recipes a few days later and sealed the deal.”

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How to make Jack Monroe’s mushroom and tea bourguignon
Hearty stuff (Mike English/PA)
How to make Jack Monroe’s mushroom and tea bourguignon
Print Recipe
Nutrition Facts
Mushroom and tea bourguignon
Amount Per Serving
Calories 120 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 156mg7%
Potassium 593mg17%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 158IU3%
Vitamin C 15mg18%
Calcium 50mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Mushroom and tea bourguignon

A cheap vegan riff on a classic
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Servings: 4
Calories: 120kcal
Author: Jack Monroe

Equipment

  • Large mug
  • Large pan with lid

Ingredients

  • 1 teabag
  • 300 ml boiling water
  • 1 medium onion (mine weighed 200g, but don’t worry too much), finely sliced
  • 4 fat garlic cloves finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • a pinch of salt
  • a bit of cracked black pepper
  • 400 g chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée (optional but I like a nice tomatoey taste)
  • 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
  • 400 g mushrooms sliced
  • fistfuls of spinach steamed, to serve (optional)

Method

  • Find the largest mug you have. Pop a teabag in, and fill it with the boiling water. Let it stand to one side to stew, properly stew, while you do the next bits.
  • Toss the onion and garlic into a large pan. Pour the oil over, stir, add a pinch of salt and pop over a medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, to soften the onions and lose that raw acerbic edge to them.
  • Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stir in the purée, and add the herbs. Remove the teabag from the mug and pour the strong black tea into the pan, and give everything a stir. Toss in the mushrooms, then bring it all to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for at least 20 minutes to let the sauce reduce and thicken and all the flavours meld together.
  • The next bit is up to you. You can leave it simmering away for another half an hour in the traditional fashion, or you can turn the heat off, pop a lid on (or large plate or tin foil if you don’t have a lid) and let it slowly cool down. It will carry on cooking itself with the heat trapped inside, but will cost you less in gas or electricity to achieve pretty much the same effect – it just won’t reduce as much, so you’ll need to strain some of the liquid off to serve, or eat it like a soup, which is equally yummy.
  • Season to taste, and serve. I like mine slopped onto white fluffy rice or a pile of mash, but if you’re a low-carb person, a pile of spinach or steamed greens would be yummy too.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 593mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg

Cooking On A Bootstrap by Jack Monroe, photography by Mike English, is published by Bluebird.

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