Recipes

Pot-Roasted Beef in Red Wine with

Red Onion Marmalade

Now Autumn is here and the nights are getting chillier, a warming pot roast is just the thing! The slow-cooking also really enriches the flavour...

For the Red Onion Marmalade

2 ½ (1.15kg) rolled brisket 12 oz (350g) red onions, finely chopped

15 fl oz (425 ml) red wine 1 oz (25g) butter

2 bay leaves 8 fl oz (225 ml) red wine

A small bunch of thyme 2 fl oz (55ml) red wine vinegar

1 ½ level tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 oz (25g) butter Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275 F (140 C)

Take a casserole, melt ½ oz (10g) of the butter and when it begins to foam turn the heat up high. Dry the meat thoroughly with kitchen paper and then brown it on all sides in the hot butter, browning one flat side first, then turning it over on the other side, and moving it around to get the round edges browned as well.

Then remove the meat, wipe the casserole with some kitchen paper and return the meat to it, adding the herbs, the wine and some salt and pepper. Bring it all up to simmering point, put on a tight-fitting lid, using foil if necessary, then transfer it to the oven and leave it to cook without looking at it for 3 hours.

When the cooking time is up, remove the meat from the casserole, cover it with foil and leave it to relax for 10 minutes. Meanwhile remove the herbs, place the casserole over direct heat and boil briskly to reduce the liquid slightly. Mix the flour and remaining butter to a smooth paste, then add this mixture in small pieces to the hot liquid and whisk with a balloon whisk until it comes back to the boil and you have a smooth, slightly thickened sauce.

While the beef it cooking, make the Red Onion Marmalade. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan, stir in the chopped onion and the thyme and let them soften for about 10 minutes. Then add the wine and wine vinegar, bring it all up to a gentle simmer and add a seasoning of salt and pepper. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and let the whole thing cook really slowly with the lid off for about 50 minutes to 1 hour or until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove it from the heat, but re-heat gently before serving.