A British Specialty

Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding
Serves 4

Ingredients for Yorkshire Pudding:
135 g flour
3 eggs
200 ml milk
50 ml oil
Salt and pepper

For the Roast Beef:
1 kg filet of beef
30 ml oil
2 carrots
15 g sea salt
Crushed black pepper
Thyme sprigs

For the Roast Potatoes:
3 large potatoes
15 ml oil
10 ml duck fat
20 g unsalted butter
3 cloves of garlic
2 sprigs of thyme
30 g salt
Pepper

For the Gravy:
200 ml red wine
450 ml chicken stock
1.5 l beef stock
200 g beef
50 g leeks
25 g celery
50 g carrots
30 g white onions
5 cloves of garlic
4 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
10 ml oil

Preparation:

For the Roast Beef (medium):
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Chop the carrots in half and place in the middle of the roasting tin with the thyme - this will help the heat spread evenly through the meat later. Season the meat with salt, pepper, then drizzle with oil and place on top of the carrots. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes at 220°C, then reduce heat to 180°C and roast for a further 25-35 minutes. Baste the meat regularly throughout. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes in a warm area. With this method you will get a "medium" cooked meat.

For the Yorkshire Puddings:
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Mix all ingredients together with an electric whisk forming a smooth consistency. Sieve the mixture to remove all lumps. Pour oil into the Yorkshire pudding tray (or muffin tin) and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the tray and quickly pour the Yorkshire pudding batter into the hot oil. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes at 210°C until each Yorkshire Pudding has risen and taken on a light brown color. Then reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until crisp.

For the Roast Potatoes:
Peel the potatoes and cut into six. Place in a pot of water with 20 g salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Drain the potatoes. Place onto a baking tray and mix with oil, duck fat, butter, garlic, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at around 190-200°C until golden brown and crispy. This will take between 20-30 minutes. Turn every eight minutes.

For the Gravy:
Chop the meat into rough cubes. Peel vegetables and chop to about the same size. Heat a stainless steel pan, add the meat and brown on each side. Add the vegetables and allow to sweat for 5 minutes. Add bay leaves, thyme, garlic and red wine and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Then add the stock and reduce again by 3/4. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Tip: Use the juices from the roasted meat to give the gravy more flavor.

This recipe comes to us courtesy of Chef Matthew Wilkinson of The Rudding Park Hotel.