Celebrating Great British beef

Beef, leek & swede Cumberland pie

NEW this month on our ‘foodie calendar’ is a Great British Beef Week, which runs from April 23-30. The aim is to celebrate the “iconic” flavours and versatility of British beef and the sustainable practices of beef farmers. 

Thankfully, the National Beef Association website – nationalbeefassociation.com –
has some interesting recipes using every cut of beef imaginable…
so we offer you two of them. 

Charlie’s Luxurious Fish Pie
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Charlie’s Luxurious Fish Pie


Ingredients


  • Fish Stock

  • 500g fish bones

  • 200g white onion

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 2 sticks of celery

  • 1 lemon

  • 1 tablespoon peppercorns

  • 120ml white wine

  • 1 litre of water


  • Fish Velouté

  • 50g butter

  • 50g plain flour

  • 500ml fish stock

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 50ml cream

  • Seasoning


  • Fish Pie Base

  • 300ml velouté

  • 400g diced fish (we use salmon, haddock and smoked mackerel)

  • 60g spinach

  • 2 shallots finely diced

  • 40g peas

  • 5g dill

  • 75ml white wine


  • Parmesan Mash

  • 500g Maris Piper potatoes

  • 5tsp salt

  • 50g butter

  • 100ml milk

  • 50ml cream

  • 50g parmesan

  • Seasoning

Method


  • Fish Stock
  • Wash fish bones. In a pan with some oil, sweat off bones, then add vegetables and lemon, sweat down, then add pepper and wine, simmer for 5 minutes.
    Add cold water and simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain. Reduce and put back on the stove and reduce by half.
  • Fish Velouté
  • In a pan melt butter and add plain flour, cook till a sandy texture.
    Slowly add fish stock. This will thicken when all ingredients are incorporated, add cream, season and set aside. 
  • Fish Pie Base
  • In a pan, sweat down shallots, add fish and seal. Deglaze with wine and reduce. Add velouté spinach and peas and finely chopped dill.
    Check seasoning.
    Place in oven dish.
  • Parmesan Mash
  • Start by boiling the potatoes until tender. When you have mashed potatoes, heat milk and cream in another pan.  Whisk/mix in the milk, then slowly add cubed butter and finish with parmesan. Pipe or spread on top of the fish pie and bake at 190deg for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Salad of beef tongue, green vegetables, wild garlic vinaigrette
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Salad of beef tongue, green vegetables, wild garlic vinaigrette

Servings

4

servings

Ingredients

  • 320g of finely sliced cooked beef tongue

  • 100g of wild garlic leaves

  • 100g of olive oil

  • 1 bunch of watercress

  • 1 bunch of green asparagus

  • 1 small head of broccoli

  • Juice of 1 lemon 

  • 4 small spring radish

  • 40g parmesan shavings

Directions

  • Prepare the wild garlic puree: Blanche the wild garlic leaves in boiling water and refresh by dipping in cold water. Remove excess water. Mix the olive oil with the wild garlic and pass through a fine sieve. Put aside.
  • Prepare a vinaigrette with the lemon juice, the wild garlic puree and the wild garlic oil.
  • Prepare the vegetables: Using a mandolin or a grater, finely grate the raw broccoli florets into rice-sized pieces. Wash the watercress and remove the excess water. Blanche the green asparagus in salted boiling water for 10 minutes and refresh in iced cold water. Slice each asparagus long ways in four.
  • To finish: Use a plate for each person and spoon some of the wild garlic vinaigrette onto the centre of each plate. Arrange slices of beef tongue on each plate.  Sprinkle the broccoli over the beef. Place the green asparagus in a bowl and toss in a little of the vinaigrette until coated. Arrange nicely on the top of the meat.
    Decorate with some of the watercress and parmesan shavings. Finish by spooning a little more of the vinaigrette.
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