amadeus_glorious_final

DEVELOPING TALENT MEET OUR CHEFS
Slow-cooked
feather blade of beef
Enjoy this flavourful cut of British beef, perfect for slow cooking,
along with butterbean potato purée, seasonal roast roots and a
Merlot and red onion compote for a hearty autumnal dish
INGREDIENTS
BUTTERBEAN MASH
ROOT VEGETABLES
RED ONION COMPOTE
dishes to cook is squid ink risotto with a piece
of bream on top and served with a lobster
sauce. It’s great to play with different flavour
combinations to see what works. Obviously
there are classics – slow-cooked French dishes
like beef Bourguignon, moules marinière,
bouillabaisse, confit of duck – but I like to
add different twists. I like to experiment with
flavours from Thailand as I spent some time
travelling there, so I like to introduce the classic
spices and flavours of Thai food, so that might
be a Thai broth with the moules or infusing a
confit of duck with Asian herbs and spices.
“We really like getting people to try different
things. Obviously when we’re developing a
menu for the VOX we need to be mindful
of producing it on a large scale, but once you
know you can produce something for 50-100
people I know it will work at banqueting level
as then it’s just a case on multiplying it up. To
deliver on the day it’s all about the organisation
– we normally have about one and half hours to
deliver three courses, so it’s demanding but I’m
proud that we manage to do it several times a
week throughout the year. We’re building a
reputation here for great food and that’s what
I am so proud of.”
Aaron clearly loves what he does – it’s hard
work but he says the rewards are definitely worth
it. “I just love food – my favourite dinner that
I cook for friends at this time of year is pan-fried
loin of venison, cooked medium rare, squash,
coffee-glazed beets and Parmesan crumb
shallots all served with a red wine jus. For dessert
it has to be a plum and gooseberry crumble with
macadamia nuts and vanilla topping.
“It’s great to cook with what’s in season as
then you can ring the changes throughout the
year, adjusting your menu to make the most of
what’s in the shops and at its best.” So what’s his
other top tips for the best dinner party food?
“It’s all about the presentation – you can cook
food to perfection but if you don’t make it
look beautiful on the plate then you won’t get
the best from it. A glass of the right wine also
helps! It’s worth trying out different wines to
find flavours that complement each other – at
Amadeus we have wine training to learn about
how wine and food can work together – or not!
It’s all part of the restaurant experience of dining
at an Amadeus banquet.”
TO FIND OUT ABOUT
BANQUETING FACILITIES AT THE
ICC CONTACT THEICC.CO.UK/
CONTACT OR FOR THE
VOX THEVOXCENTRE.CO.UK/
CONTACT-US
Serves 2
2 x 8oz British feather blade of beef
or braising cuts (from any good
quality butcher)
1 x small bunch of fresh thyme
2 x cloves of garlic
500ml x fresh beef stock or 500ml water
with 2 beef stock cubes
50ml x sunflower oil
28g x tomato paste
2 x large parsnips
2 x long carrots
1 x red onion
1 x small bunch of fresh rosemary
28g or a good-sized spoonful of
redcurrant jelly
100ml x Merlot red wine
2 x jacket potatoes
1 x lemon
56g x butterbeans
56g x salted butter
28g x sea salt
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Sprig of fresh parsley
BRAISED BEEF
AND SAUCE
Preheat the over to
200°C/Gas mark 6. Seal
the blades of beef in a
hot pan until golden
brown on both sides,
then place into a
suitably sized braising
dish. Add the beef
stock and tomato
paste to the meat
sealing pan to capture
any beef sediment
for additional flavour. Pour
the braising stock over the
beef blades and add the fresh
rosemary and cloves of garlic.
Fully cover the beef with lid or tin
foil and slow cook in the preheated
oven for around 4 hours or until the
meat is tender. Then remove the excess
cooking liquor from the beef and reduce
down to a sauce consistency.
Bake the jacket potatoes in the oven (about
2½ hours after the beef was placed in the oven)
on a bed of sea salt for around 60-80 minutes
or until the texture is soft. Scoop the filling from
the potato skin and crush with a fork. Add
a squeeze of fresh lemon, coarsely chopped
butterbeans, salted butter, fresh chopped
parsley and plenty of seasoning to taste.
Peel the parsnips and remove the core. Prepare
the carrots, rub with sunflower oil, fresh thyme
and seasoning. Place on a flat roasting tray and
cook in the oven about 30 minutes before beef
is ready until the vegetables become golden
brown and soft to the touch.
Peel and slice finely the red onion into strips
or diced, soften in sunflower oil in a small pan,
add redcurrant jelly and red wine. Reduce the
cooking liquor until the mixture becomes sticky
and thick, then remove from the heat.
BUILDING THE PLATE
Serve a generous portion of butterbean mash
in middle of the plate. Place feather blade of
beef on top. Add the red onion compote on
top of the beef. Build the root vegetable up
and over the beef. Finally pour the rich
beef sauce over the dish.
14 GLORIOUS