Eat & Drink

Autumn in Burgundy

By Marjorie Taylor

Europe, France, Burgundy

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons, and for a cook, there is no better place to gather your ingredients than a fall market in France.

On just about every day of the week you’ll find a market in one of the little villages in the region, or you can visit the large covered market in Dijon (Les Halles de Dijon) on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings.

My favorite market in Beaune is filled with the foods I love to cook; capons, standing rib roasts, ducks and plump Bresse chickens, and an assortment of root vegetables; beets, potatoes and turnips, just pulled from the dirt, and heirloom apples for the season’s first apple tart. The vendors are like a cast of characters from a novel and the Saturday morning market is bustling with locals and tourists alike celebrating the flavors of the season.

This time of year there is always something simmering on the back of the stove or baking in the oven at The Cook’s Atelier. A slice of a Cinderella pumpkin for a velvety, rich soup and wild mushrooms and pâté to accompany toasts with peppered crème fraîche are the only ingredients needed for a simple supper by the fire. Autumn is the perfect season to practice your skills as a cook. The season calls for slow roasting, braising and long-relaxing dinners. Take your time in the kitchen. After all, the simple act of cooking and sitting down to enjoy a meal with family and friends, are two of the greatest joys in life. Add a favorite bottle from the region and you just might have the top three.

Here's a personal favourite that takes advantages of autumn's produce:

Veal Roast with Autumn Mushrooms
Serves four to six
Two tablespoons olive oil
One 2 1/2 pound veal roast
One large onion, peeled and finely chopped
Two cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped 
Four large handfuls of fresh, wild or cultivated mushrooms, larger ones sliced
A few springs of rosemary, thyme or sage
One cup dry white wine
Four dried bay leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed, oven proof casserole over medium heat and when the oil is hot, but not smoking, brown the veal on all sides. Remove the veal from the pan, and add the onion and garlic and gently cook for about 10 minutes. Return the veal roast to the pan with the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and pour in the wine. Tuck the bay leaves around the veal, pushing them under the wine, cover, and roast in the oven until the veal is nearly cooked through, about one hour. Turning it once during cooking.

While the veal is cooking, prepare the mushrooms. Place a skillet over high heat with a knob of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. As soon as the butter foam has begun to subside, which indicates it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for four to five minutes until lightly browned. Depending on the size of your pan, this might need to be done in batches. Be careful not to over crowd the pan or the mushrooms will steam rather than brown.

Remove the veal from the oven. Add the mushrooms, pushing them gently under the cooking juices. Cover and return to the oven until the veal is cooked through and the mushrooms are tender, an additional 15 minutes.

Remove the veal and mushrooms from the oven and transfer to a warmed platter. Place the pan with the cooking juices over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil gently until the sauce has thickened, about four to five minutes.

To serve, remove the strings from the veal roast and slice it. Spoon the mushrooms and cooking juices over, garnish with fresh herbs and serve immediately.

Marjorie Taylor has made her home in Burgundy, France and is the proprietor of The Cook’s Atelier. She offers market tours and hands-on cooking classes in Beaune, and writes about and photographs what she loves best: food, travel and France. If you are interested in more information about her adventures visit her here.