6 bay leaf bunch fresh thyme 1 whole feather blade of beef (approx. 2.5 kg) 1 head celery 1 rasher pancetta 2 l beef stock 1 head fennel 1 leek butter and oil for frying 1 carrot 1 onion 1 glass rich red wine 12 peppercorns Foie gras sauce nutmeg to season 50 g butter 100 g raw foie gras Potato Savoy cabbage crispy bacon (hand crushed) as much as you like enough mashed potato for six
To cook the beef, prepare and roughly chop the vegetables. Chop the pancetta into smallish bits. Season the beef. Heat some fat in a casserole dish just large enough to hold the meat. Sear the meat on all sides and remove. Fry the pancetta. Add the vegetables and sweat giving a light brown colour. Add the red wine and reduce rapidly, scraping up any residues to deglaze the casserole dish. Put the beef back into the pot, cover with stock, add the herbs and peppercorns and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat so the stock is barely simmering. Cook four to six hours. A knife should virtually fall through it when it is done. Let the meat cool in the stock and refrigerate over night. Remove all the fat that will have set on the serface. Lift out the meat, scrape off any jelly and slice into 1 inch steaks. Reheat the stock, discard the vegetables and strain the liquid through muslin. Measure 400 ml of the stock and keep hot for the sauce. Heat butter and oil in a non-stick frying pan anf fry the steaks untill brown and crisp on both sides. Rest in a warm place for five to ten minutes. To make the foie gras sause, bring the butter and foie gras up to room temperature. Blend in a food processor, season, wrap in cling film and chill until ready for assembly. To serve: To serve, place buttered savoy off centre of a large plate, flip the meat over then lift onto the cabbage, serve the mash at the top of the plate - and finally the sauce. Add the chilled foie gras butter to the reserved hot stock and wizz with a stick blender. Skim off the "cappuccino" froth with a ladle. Serve around the plates. Supplied by: The Pheasant Inn