Roast beef with red wine & banana shallots

• topside of beef↗2kg kg

  (buy one with a layer of natural fat on the top)

• vegetable oil↗1 tbsp tbsp

  or sunflower oil

• English mustard powder↗1 tbsp tbsp
• Maldon sea salt↗1 tsp tsp
• large carrots↗2

  halved lengthways

• banana shallots↗12

  peeled and halved lengthways

• bay leaves↗2
• plain flour↗2 tbsp tbsp
• full-bodied red wine↗300ml ml

  ( I used a shiraz blend)

• fresh beef stock↗500ml ml
• redcurrant jelly↗2 tsp tsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Let the meat come to room temperature for 1 hr before you roast it. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Dry the meat with kitchen paper, then rub the oil all over it. Mix the mustard powder with the sea salt and 1 tsp pepper, then rub this over the meat too. Lay the carrots in a large roasting tin to make a trivet and sit the beef on top, fat-side up.

2. 2

   Roast for 15 mins, then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and roast for another 55 mins. This will give you medium beef; for medium-rare, cook for 45 mins. (When it’s done, a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the beef should read 65C).

3. 3

   With 30 mins cooking time left, baste the beef in the fat that has pooled in the tin, add the shallots and bay leaves, and coat these in the fat too. Season and return to the oven. Meanwhile, boil the wine in a small saucepan to reduce it by two-thirds.

4. 4

   When the meat is ready, transfer to a board, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest. Turn the oven up to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and return the tin to the oven for a further 10-15 mins until the shallots are tender.

5. 5

   Scoop out the shallots with a slotted spoon and set aside to keep warm. Remove the excess fat from the tin and discard, leaving 1 tbsp fat and all the dark juices behind. Add the flour and cook on the hob for 2 mins, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the reduced wine, followed by the stock and redcurrant jelly, scraping up all the tasty bits from the bottom of the tin. Bubble until thickened and rich, add the juices from the resting meat, then season to taste. Discard the carrots. Serve the beef with the gravy and shallots.