Rarely Good Beef

Thank you Heston: Conjurer of Cuisine; Alimentary Alchemist, Meat Magus!

Despite my international background, or perhaps because of it, I am a huge fan of the classically-British roast lunch.  Although, I do not conform to our restrictive French nick-name (les rosbif), being equally happy with most kinds of 2- or 4-legged beasts; be it succulent chicken with garlic and thyme; melt-in-the-mouth pork with salty crackling; or pink spring lamb with lovely fresh vegetables.

This weekend I had the best roast beef I've ever tasted in my life having followed a recipe from Heston Blumenthal's, 'At Home'.  And it was unexpectedly simple...

British Through and Through?

As an aside, my husband and I are debating the idea that the great British roast is somewhat of a misnomer.  Having moved from Edinburgh to Bristol a few years ago, we were surprised to discover that every self-respecting pub or restaurant here unilaterally sets aside their vibrant and interesting regular menus on a Sunday in favour of a not-so-humble selection of roast dishes.  This was not something we ever experienced in Edinburgh.

Is this passion for the Sunday roast perhaps an English thing (although this throws up all kinds of questions of national identity) or is that Brizzle is a particularly enthusiastic proponent of an under-stated British indulgence?

In any case, the devotion or city shows to the Sunday tradition is very often to its credit and our enjoyment.  Check out, for example, the Spotted Cow's menu, including Organic Chicken Breast Stuffed with Pork & Blue Cheese, or the Pump House's weekend offer, boasting Roast Leg of Mendip Lamb, Roast Onion Puree & Salsa Verde.

Rarely Perfect

I like my beef rare.  Unfortunately, so does the rest of my family.  A roast beef lunch is therefore an exercise in politeness, with each of us judging the fair quantity of juicy, rose-coloured meat we can fork onto our plates, all of us left slightly dissatisfied by its scarcity.

Heston's recipe has provided the much-needed solution.  And it is so easy.  It simply requires time.  Season and seal the meat and then roast for 5-6 hours at a low temperature.  The result is a rib of beef where every slice is a rare thing of beauty! Serve with the delicious bone marrow, shallot and mustard sauce Heston has included alongside the recipe.

Note: We were so eager to dive in to our lunch, that we did not have time to take a picture before devouring it.  This picture is from Heston's section on steaks within the same book.

Fabulous Fish Pie

I was debating whether to name this post "There's Always Room For Improvement", because this week I was pleasantly surprised to further perfect my fish pie recipe.  Those of you who have tried it will decry this assertion, but let me just say two words to you: Rosti Top.

Yes, friends.  How do you make a fish pie better?  You add a crispy potato topping.  Obviously.

My original recipe came with a nice, creamy mashed potato topping.  So, if you fancy something a little plainer, go with mash.  But if you're up for a gloriously rich fish pie, read on!

Ingredients
4 x Salmon Fillets
2 x 250g Prawns (raw)
2 x Leeks, roughly chopped
10 x Whole Peppercorns
2 x Bay Leaves
600ml White Wine
75g Butter
25g Flour
100ml Milk
75g Cheddar (relatively strong)
700g Potatoes, grated (e.g. Maris Piper)
2tsp salt
Ground Pepper

(Serves 4-6)

Method

1. Place leeks and salmon in an ovenproof dish with the white wine, peppercorns and bay leafs.  Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 15-20 minutes.
2. While the salmon is cooking, put the potatoes in a sieve with 1tsp salt and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.  Leave to drain for 10 minutes, then repeat the process with the another teaspoon of salt.  Give it a final squeeze.
3. When the fish is ready, remove the salmon from the dish and, when cool enough to handle, break into large flakes, discarding the skin.
4. Remove the leeks from the dish with a slotted spoon and reserve for later.  Then discard the bay leaves and peppercorns, leaving you with the cooking liquid.  Keep hold of this for later also.
5. Melt 25g of butter in a saucepan on a medium to low heat.  Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.  Gradually add the milk, stirring vigorously.  Then, gradually stir in the reserved cooking liquid.  You might not need all the liquid, or if the sauce is too thick, add more milk.  When you are happy with the sauce, add half of the cheddar.
6. Return the leeks and the salmon to the now empty ovenproof dish.  Add the prawns and the sauce and make sure it is all distributed evenly.
7. Melt the remaining 50g of butter in a frying pan, then fry the drained grated potatoes for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly.  Take off the heat, mix in the remaining cheddar and ground pepper to taste, then spread it evenly over the fish mixture.
8. Return the pie to the oven, having turned it up to 200ºC.  Cook for 20 minutes or until the top is nice and brown and crispy.