How to slow cook a boeuf bourguignon in a bean bag

Get your supplies together. The recipe is for four people and the quantities are approximate. Just double up for eight and use a larger pot.

Dice the meat and sear it in a heavy pot over a high heat with a little oil. Do it in small batches and put on one side.

Turn the heat right down. Peel and slice the onions and/or shallots and sweat them in the pot until they soften a little.

Peel and crush the garlic, add to the pot, stir and cook for a minute or two.

Add the meat and stir, the flour and stir, the mixed herbs, tomato paste, salt and pepper and stir again.

Open and measure out the wine and/or consommé and add to the pot. Stir.

Chop the carrots and celery, add to the pot and stir.

At this stage you can continue to cook by putting the lid on and simmering slowly or put it in the oven at 160°C for a couple of hours. If you want to slow cook in a bean bag as I did - read on.

Bring to a gentle boil, pop the lid on to mostly cover and simmer for 15 minutes to heat everything through thoroughly.

Meanwhile, find a kiddies bean bag, some newspaper and an old pillow.

Form a hollow in the centre of the bag about the same size as your pot.

Line the hollow with newspaper

Put the lid on the pot tightly, nestle it deep into the hollow, wrap the newspaper around it and put the pillow on top. The bean bag will act like a slow cooker and stay hot for hours.

I was visiting friends so I put it in the car. Five hours later it was still 67°C, beautifully cooked and ready for the final stages. Grab the top edges of the bag to lift it not the bottom.

Put some new potatoes on to boil, slice some mushrooms into the Bourguignon, and simmer while the potatoes cook.

Enjoy your Boeuf Bourguignon with good wine and good company. If you want to find out more about Bean Bag cooking, check out my guide 'Create and Use the Bean Bag Haybox'.