Beef Stroganoff, As I Like It! - cooking recipe

Ingredients

800 g beef (fillet)
4 shallots
100 g carrots (one large carrot)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme (dried or fresh)
50 g onions
500 ml wine (white, dry)
100 g butter
200 g mushrooms (white, cultivated)
150 g onions
3 tablespoons brandy
200 ml wine (white, dry)
150 g sour cream
1 lemon (juice from it)
20 g parsley
10 g cucumbers (pickled)
10 g salt
5 g pepper

Preparation

Cut beef fillet into fine stripes 2,5 cm long. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a small ovenproof dish with 4 sliced shallots, onion and carrot, 1 crushed bay leaf and thyme. Add just enough white wine to cover the meat and leave to marinate in a cool place, covered, for 12 hours.
Drain and dry the meat; reduce the marinade by half and set it aside.
Saute very finely sliced onion on 25 g butter until soft and add sliced mushrooms; add some more butter. Saute until soft and water from mushrooms evaporates.
Remove onion and mushrooms into separate dish where you will finish the meal.
Wipe the pan and melt 50g butter in it; when hot add the meat and fry it over brisk heat, turning it frequently (don't put all meat, do it in several turns).
When all meat is done put it all together, pour brandy and flame it. After the fire is gone, add the rest of reduced marinade and white wine. Heat it to boil (and to deglaze the pan) and after that add the meat with onion and mushrooms.
Cook about 30-45 minutes. After 20 minutes add pickled cucumbers cut into stripes. Before serving add sour cream, lemon juice and minced parsley leaves. Stir and cut the heat. Serve hot with rice or potato, or whatever you like.