Spiced Beef Brisket with Roasted Carrot Orzo

Melt-in-the-mouth, tender beef and warming Middle Eastern spices are a match made in heaven in this slow-cooked crowd-pleaser. A long, slow braise transforms a great-value cut of meat into a wow-factor main fit for a dinner party.

Hands-on time 30min, plus marinating. Cooking time about 6hr 30min. Serves 10

◆ 1.6kg (3½lb) boned and

rolled beef brisket for the marinade ◆ 2tbsp rose harissa (we used

Belazu) ◆ 2tsp Ras el Hanout ◆ 1tbsp pomegranate

molasses ◆ Finely grated zest and juice

1 orange for the orzo ◆ 800g (1lb 12oz) mixed heritage carrots, peeled and cut into chunky pieces on the diagonal ◆ 3tbsp olive oil ◆ 2tsp Ras el Hanout ◆ 1tsp cumin seeds ◆ 2tbsp pomegranate molasses ◆ 1 litre (1¾ pint) fresh beef

stock ◆ 2 cinnamon sticks ◆ 400g (14oz) orzo pasta ◆ 2 onions, sliced ◆ 2 celery sticks, diced ◆ 6 garlic cloves, finely

chopped ◆ Radicchio, shredded ◆ ½ small bunch flat-leaf

parsley, roughly chopped ◆ Seeds from 1 pomegranate ◆ 100g (3½oz) pistachio

kernels, roughly chopped

1 Make the marinade: in a bowl mix together the harissa, Ras el Hanout, pomegranate molasses, half the orange zest and 2tbsp of the juice. Spread this over the beef to coat and set aside to marinate, covered, in the fridge, for at least 2hr, or for up to 24hr. 2 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Put the carrots into a medium roasting tin. Add 1tbsp oil, remaining orange zest and juice, Ras el Hanout and cumin seeds. Toss together and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 40min. Remove foil and drizzle with pomegranate molasses. Return to oven, uncovered, for 10-15min, until beginning to char at the edges and turn sticky. Remove from oven and set aside. 3 Pour half of the beef stock into a pan, add 500ml (17fl oz) boiling water and bring to the boil with one of the cinnamon sticks, add the orzo and cook for about 10min until tender. Drain well, transfer to a bowl and set aside. 4 When the beef has finished marinating, preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan) mark 1. Heat 1tbsp oil in a medium casserole (large enough to fit the beef with a little space around it), add the onion, celery and remaining cinnamon stick and cook over a low heat for 10min, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for a further 10min. Tip on to a plate and set aside. 5 Heat the remaining oil in the casserole and return to heat. When hot, sear the beef on all sides to brown. Return the onion mixture to the casserole. Add the remaining beef stock – it should come about halfway up the casserole. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 4-6hr, turning every hr, until very tender and shreddable. 6 To serve, lift the beef out on to a board and shred using two forks. Return the casserole to the hob, bring the liquid to the boil and bubble for 10-15min to reduce and thicken (there should be about 500ml/17fl oz once reduced). Add 100ml (3½fl oz) of the gravy to the orzo and stir through to dress it. Add remaining gravy to the shredded beef and toss. 7 Add roasted carrots, radicchio, most of the parsley, pomegranate seeds and pistachios to the orzo, toss together and season to taste. 8 Spoon orzo on to a large serving plate, top with shredded beef and scatter over remaining parsley, pomegranate seeds and pistachios. PER SERVING 576cals, 51g protein, 20g fat (5g saturates), 43g carbs (13g total sugars), 8g fibre ■ BRING-A-DISH TIP Complete the recipe to the end of step 6 up to 1 day ahead. Allow to cool completely, transfer the beef and orzo to separate airtight containers and chill until needed. To reheat, tip both into separate saucepans and gently heat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot through (you may need to add a splash of boiling water to the orzo to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan). Complete the recipe to serve.