HERB-COATED BEEF WITH BEETROOT & YORKSHIRE PUDS

I’m a Yorkshire lad so when I was there I had to have Yorkshire puds. I love this dish for its simple flavours. Fresh beetroot taken straight from the ground tastes so much better than any flown halfway round the world.

Serves 6

For the Yorkshire puddings

200g (7oz) plain flour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 eggs

600ml (1pt) whole milk

40g (1½oz) dripping For the beef and beetroot

4 large beetroot

50g (1 ¾oz) salted butter, softened

1kg (2lb 4oz) fillet beef

1 ½tbsp treacle

A small bunch each of parsley and thyme, chopped

For the sauce

200ml (7fl oz) red wine

400ml (14fl oz) beef or veal jus (from supermarkets)

Put the flour into a large bowl and season well.

Mix then make a well in the middle. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then slowly pour in the milk, continuously whisking until the batter is smooth. Chill for 30 minutes or for up to one day. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7. Put the beetroot in a pan and cover with cold water. Pop a lid on the pan and bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 40 minutes, until tender. Lift the beetroot out of the pan and set aside. Once cool, wrap them in kitchen paper and rub to remove the skins. Cut each beetroot into quarters, trimming away the stalks. To bake the Yorkshires, spoon 1tsp of dripping into each of the holes in a

12-hole

muffin tin, then heat in the oven for 5 minutes, until the dripping is hot. Carefully ladle the batter into each hole then bake for 30 minutes, until the Yorkshires are well risen and browned. Keep warm.

To cook the beef, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and brown the beef all over. Season then brush the treacle all over it and press chopped herbs onto the beef. Transfer to a roasting tin, add the beetroot and roast for 20 minutes for medium-rare. Meanwhile, pour the wine and jus into a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until reduced by half, then pour into a serving jug. Take the beef out of the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the Yorkshires, beetroot and

the sauce.