TOMMY’S TWIST

TOMMY’S TWIST

CHRISTMAS BEEF BBC chef Tommy Banks cooks a quick Christmas centrepiece that doesn’t compromise on impact or luxury photograph ROB STREETER

There is no doubt that fillet is the most tender cut of beef, but what you gain in texture you lose in flavour, so I’ve cranked things up on this quick and easy roast, giving the fillet a deep, umami-rich glaze and crust of crispy onions to turn it into a real showstopper.

Ale-glazed beef fillet with a crispy onion crust Ask for the middle of the fillet, sometimes called the barrel cut, for this recipe. It’s of a uniform thickness throughout, which not only looks neat but guarantees even cooking. Malt extract adds a deep, almost nutty flavour to the glaze. You can find it in health food shops, or at a stretch, you can swap it for a tablespoon of treacle.

SERVES 5 PREP 30 mins COOK 1 hr EASY

For the beef 100g crispy fried onions (available in some supermarkets or online) 1 tbsp sunflower oil 800g beef fillet, cut from the centre For the glaze 500ml non-alcoholic pale ale 180g malt extract 50g yeast extract 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sherry vinegar For the carrots 400g Chantenay carrots 50g unsalted butter 2 tbsp fennel seeds 200g baby spinach

1 To make the glaze, whisk all the ingredients together in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25-30 mins to reduce until sticky. Meanwhile, crush the onions with a pestle and mortar, or blitz in a food processor until you get a fine crumb. 2 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Generously season the beef all over. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and spend 10 mins searing the beef well on all sides. Remove from the pan (setting the pan aside to cook the carrots later), then sit the beef on a wire rack in a roasting tin. Brush all over with some of the glaze, roast for 10 mins, then turn it over and do the same again, reserving some of the glaze for brushing over at the end. If you want the beef rare and you have a meat thermometer, the core temperature should be 52C. For medium-rare, roast for another

Tommy Banks is chef-owner at The Black Swan in Oldstead (blackswanoldstead.co.uk) and Roots in York (rootsyork.co.uk). His book, Roots (Seven Dials), is out now. @tommybanks8 10-15 mins – the core temperature should be 55-60C. Cover the beef and let it rest for 15-20 mins. 3 Meanwhile, boil the carrots in salted water for 5-7 mins until just tender, then drain. Tip the carrots into the frying pan you used to sear the beef along with the butter and fennel seeds. Fry over a medium heat until golden, then add the spinach, any resting juices from the meat and 1 tsp of the beef glaze. Cook until the spinach has wilted. 4 To serve, scatter the crispy onions on a tray or plate. Brush the beef again with the glaze and roll it in the onions. Sit on a board, carve into thick slices and serve with the carrots and spinach.

GOOD TO KNOW folate • iron • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 596 kcals • fat 24g • saturates 11g • carbs 44g • sugars 26g • fibre 3g • protein 44g • salt 3.4g

tip

To make a gravy, bring 400ml beef stock to the boil along with 1 tsp of the glaze and cook until the glaze has dissolved. Mix 1 tbsp cornflour with 1 tbsp water to make a paste and stir into the enriched stock. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened.