Roast Sirloin of Beef with Baked Shallots and Garlic, Baked Mashed Potatoes, Wilted Spinach and Herb Dressing

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 banana shallots, halved lengthways, unpeeled (see tip 1)
• 2 bulbs garlic, cloves separated (unpeeled)
• 800g piece beef sirloin (not rolled and tied)
• 50g butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE FRESH HERB DRESSING

• Quarter of a banana shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp miniature capers, drained and chopped
• Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh chervil (see tip 5)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 8 tbsp olive oil
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE BAKED MASHED POTATOES

• 1.75kg medium floury potatoes, preferably Maris Piper (see tip 7)
• 300ml semi-skimmed milk
• 150g butter, cubed
• Fine sea salt and ground white pepper

FOR THE WILTED SPINACH

• Knob of butter
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 3 large handfuls baby spinach leaves, washed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

TO PREPARE THE ENTIRE DISH

1 Start baking the potatoes.
2 Make the herb dressing and set aside.
3 Prepare the shallots and garlic and then roast in the oven with the beef.
4 While the beef is resting, prepare the mash with the cooked potatoes.
5 Cook the spinach.
6 Carve the beef from one of the short ends into roughly 12 thick slices.
7Serve

FOR THE BEEF

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, shallow ovenproof sauté pan and fry the shallots for 2 minutes (see tip 2). Add the garlic and cook with the shallots for a further 3-4 minutes until golden. Season.

Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until lightly browned and sealed on all sides, turning occasionally. Place the beef on the shallots and garlic – fat side up - and spread the butter over the top. Mix the herbs in a small bowl.

Roast for about 20 minutes for rare beef - roast for 10-15 minutes more for medium-rare beef. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the beef with the herbs. Return to the oven for a further 2-3 minutes. Carefully transfer the beef to a plate, cover with foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Keep the shallots and garlic warm (see tip 3).

Recipe tips
1 If you can’t find the large banana shallots in your local supermarket or green grocer’s shop, use 12 small shallots instead.
2 Use a frying pan to brown the shallots and garlic if you don’t have a sauté pan, then transfer to a roasting tin ready for the meat.
3 Keep the shallots and garlic warm in a low oven whilst the beef rests or gently heat on the hob just before serving.
4 Do not eat the skin – the shallots will separate from the skin anyway, but for the garlic, simply squeeze out the puree and discard the rest.

FOR THE FRESH HERB DRESSING

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, season to taste and set aside to allow the flavours to develop (see tip 6).

Recipe tips
5 If you can’t find chervil, use 1 tbsp more chopped fresh parsley in its place.
6 This sauce will keep well for up to 24 hours in the fridge and goes brilliantly with all sorts of grilled or roasted meat and fish.

FOR THE BAKED MASHED POTATOES

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Place the potatoes on a baking tray – on a bed of coarse sea salt if you like (see tip 8)- and cook for about 1 hour until the skins are crisp and the potatoes tender (see tip 9).

Cool for a few minutes then cut in half. Press – cut side down – through a sturdy sieve set above a large bowl. Discard the potato skins (see tip 10).

Warm the milk in a small pan. Gradually add to the potatoes, stirring well between each addition. Add the butter a little at a time and beat well until the potatoes are light and creamy. Season to taste with salt and white pepper (see tip 11).

Recipe tips
7 Choose potatoes of a similar size so they all cook at the same time.
8 Bake the potatoes on coarse sea salt or sea salt flakes to prevent them from sticking to the tray and to help ensure crispy skins.
9 Test they are ready by inserting a skewer into the centre of a couple of potatoes – it should slide in easily.
10 You can eat the potato skins after baking if you like. Simply brush off the excess salt, drizzle with a little oil and return to the oven for a few minutes until golden. Serve warm with a soured cream and chive dip.
11 Use white pepper to season the potatoes as ground black pepper flecks will spoil the appearance of the mash.
12 If the potatoes become too cold to serve, simply warm in a saucepan with a little extra milk if necessary.

FOR THE WILTED SPINACH

Melt the butter in a pan with the garlic then add the spinach (see tip 13). Season and toss together for a few seconds until the spinach is softened and wilted (see tip 14). Drain the spinach on kitchen paper and discard the garlic.

Recipe tips
13 Push the garlic into the prongs of a fork and use to stir the spinach if you like. 14 Do not allow the spinach to overcook and become soggy. TO SERVE
1 Place large spoonfuls of mashed potato onto four warmed plates.
2 Add some wilted spinach and place slices of beef on top.
3 Add a couple of shallots and 3-4 baked garlic cloves to each plate (see tip 4).
4 Finish by spooning over a little of the herb dressing. Serve.

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