French on Bruce loves to cook

Beef stew

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is our classic-style beef stew. I tend to make it as a base now, skipping the potatoes and more delicate vegetables, which are served alongside it.

Mechanic

Brown the beef in batches without crowding; you want a sear, not a steam. The fond that builds on the bottom of the pot is the stew’s backbone; the wine deglaze lifts all of it. Making this as a minimal stew, without vegetables in the braise, means you can cook it longer without anything going mushy and serve it over whatever you have on hand.

Baguettes

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Baguettes are a crusty, airy bread, perfect for snacking, sandwiches, and with soup.

Mechanic

75% hydration, a narrow shape, and steam make the baguette. The wet dough gives an open crumb; the thin shape and a steamy oven let the crust set crisp and brown before the inside dries out. This is more of a method than a specific recipe: the same dough makes several similar breads by varying the rise and oven time.

Beef stock

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a rich stock that uses the bones left over when buying and breaking down whole cuts.

Ingredients

2–3 kg beef bones (side cut is best; knuckle or neck is good too)
2 yellow onions (250–350 g)
1 medium carrot (100 g)
1 large celery rib (90 g)
1 shallot
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme and rosemary, or a few sprigs
~2 tablespoons vegetable oil
~5 L water, or enough to cover

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C (450°F). Roughly cut the onions, carrot, celery, shallot, and garlic, and toss them with the oil.

Crème brûlée

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We had a craving for crème brûlée one day, and not having anywhere to go to have it, we decided to make it at home.

Ingredients

2¼ cups (560 ml) 35% cream
1 vanilla bean, or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
¼ cup (60 ml) sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) sugar, for the topping

Method

Heat the oven to 165°C (325°F).

French onion soup

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a simplified version of the classic French-cut, slowly caramelized onion soup. It blends methods from Serious Eats, Chef John, Andrew Rea, Joshua Weissman, and others.

Mechanic

The flavour comes from the fond: onions cooked low and slow for an hour or more until deeply browned, with the brown layer scraped off the bottom of the pot again and again before it burns. Traditionally the soup uses a homemade veal or beef stock, but it also works well with a [[Rich veg/mushroom stock]].

Potato, leek, and mushroom soup

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

For the 2021 Christmas season, we made a variety of soups. This one was one of them, and it combines two of our favourite soups into one: potato-leek, and mushroom-cream. It’s based roughly on Serious Eats’ and Chef John’s take on the dish.

Winter noodle soup, with kale and fennel

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a hearty and herbal noodle soup. For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken and stock with large white beans and a [[Rich veg/mushroom stock|veg stock]].

Chicken

1 whole chicken, or 1 large (560 g, 20 oz) can of white beans
salt and pepper

Spatchcock the chicken: cut out the spine and remove the wings with shears, and save them for stock. Season the bird with salt and pepper and rest it in the fridge for 45 minutes.

Mushroom soup

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

A great bowl of soup, and our replacement for classic canned mushroom soup.

Mechanic

Two methods for different results. Velouté: a roux-thickened cream soup, rich and smooth. Potage: a blended potato-thickened version finished with cashew cream, dairy-free and lighter but equally silky. The mushroom base is the same for both.