BEEF and beetroot stew, by Martin Cooper, head chef at Delifonseca Dockside

Ingredients:

1kg shin of beef

500g raw beetroot

3-4 carrots (200-300g)

1 large or 2 medium onions (300-400g)

3-4 tablespoons plain flour

Salt and pepper

2-3 bay leaves

1 piece orange zest (2cm2) – optional (Don’t be tempted to add a larger piece of orange zest – it will take over)

1 star anise

3-4 sprigs of thyme – tied up with string

500ml liquid (beef stock & red wine, or you can use just stock)

You could also add celery and swede

Method

1. Pre-heat a 3.5 litre slow cooker to high.

2. Trim obvious fat and larger lumps of gristle from beef – don’t worry about the wiggly sinews running through the shin, they cook down to a lovely jellied texture.

3. Cut the beef into thick (1.5-2cm) slices across the grain of the muscle.

4. Toss the beef in seasoned flour until lightly coated

5. Peel and roughly chop the vegetables – you may want to put gloves on for the beetroot, to avoid looking like Lady Macbeth!

6. Sear the beef in a very hot large frying pan with a splash vegetable oil and then transfer to the slow cooker

7. Brown the chopped onion in the same frying pan, then add to the beef along with the remaining vegetables

8. Bring the stock and wine to the boil and add to the slow cooker, along with a little salt and pepper, the herbs and orange zest

9. Reduce the heat to low and cook for seven hours

10. Adjust the seasoning when cooked and serve with lovely mashed potato (perhaps with spring onion or finely chopped leek added to it).

SLOW braised lamb with creamed leek mash honey roast carrots and gravy, from Gavin King, head chef at Portico Cantina

Ingredients

One 10oz lamb henny

2 carrots

1 leek (half for sauce, half for mash)

1 onion

1 veg stock cube

2 pint water

Tablespoon of honey

Method

1. Flour the lamb joint all over and season with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan on a high heat add a splash of oil and seal on all sides, giving good colouration on the lamb. Drain off any excess fat.

2. Dice one carrot, ½ leek and an onion and repeat the process as the lamb and vegetables caramelise. Dissolve veg cube in water and deglaze pan, scraping residues, and bring to boil. Once boiling, place lamb in an oven dish and pour over the veg and sauce mix.

3. Cover with foil and place in the oven at 150ºC for 2 ½ hours.

4. While the lamb is cooking you can make a start on your garnish for the dish, creamed leek, mash potato and honey glazed carrots. To make the mash, peel potatoes, cut into even size pieces and boil for approx 10 mins. Once soft, drain and mash, slice the remaining leek into thin slices and fry lightly until tender, add leeks to mash potato.

Peel and cut carrots into batons and boil for 4-5mins until cooked. Drain and fry in a hot pan until you get some colour. Finish with a tablespoon of honey to glaze.

5. When the lamb is ready, remove from braising sauce and reduce the sauce in a pan to a nice gravy consistency and pass through sieve to remove veg.

6. Reheat the mash, adding a knob of butter and a splash of milk. Place mash on plate with the lamb on top. Pile carrot high at the side and spoon sauce over the top of the lamb.