POT-ROAST BRISKET WITH BEER, ORANGE AND STAR ANISE

SERVES 6-8

1 boned and rolled joint of brisket

(1.5-2kg/3lb 5oz-4lb 8oz) Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

4tbsp sunflower or light rapeseed oil

2 onions, quartered 3 carrots, cut into 5cm (2in) pieces

3 celery sticks, cut into 5cm (2in) slices

8 chestnut mushrooms, halved

4 garlic cloves, bashed 2 oranges, quartered

4 star anise

½ a cinnamon stick

750ml (1¼pt) light ale, such as IPA

3tbsp tamari (or soy sauce) 4 bay leaves

2 sprigs of thyme

Bring the meat to room temperature an hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 230°C/fan 210°C/gas 8. Put a deep, lidded casserole dish into the oven to heat up for 10 minutes.

Season the brisket all over with salt. Take the hot casserole dish out of the oven and add the oil. Carefully lower in the brisket (the oil will spit) and turn the meat to coat all over with the oil.

Cook for 10 minutes, remove and give the brisket a quarterturn. Return to the oven and repeat every 10 minutes until the meat is a deep brown colour.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic. Return to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the veg have taken on some colour.

Reduce the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas 3. Add the oranges, star anise, cinnamon, ale, tamari (or soy), bay leaves and thyme sprigs to the casserole. Top up with a little extra beer or water to ensure the brisket is at least two-thirds immersed in liquid.

Put the lid on and cook for 2½3 hours until juicy and tender, checking during cooking that the liquor hasn’t reduced down too much and adding a little water as necessary. At the end of cooking, you should have about a 5cm depth of liquor in the casserole.

Remove the meat to a warmed plate and set aside. Discard the star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves and thyme stalks from the liquor. Squeeze the juice from the oranges out with the back of a spoon and discard the skins. Taste the liquor and season accordingly.

Remove the string from the brisket and carve into slices. Serve with the pot-roasted vegetables and a ladleful of the cooking liquor.