Beef Fillet Recipe with Artichokes

Nigel Mendham brings together four different types of artichoke in this elegant beef recipe. Crosnes (Japanese artichokes), globe and baby artichokes are cooked in a water bath to retain their shape, while Jerusalem artichokes (admittedly an artichoke in name only) are made into a silky smooth purée. Tender beef fillet and rich, slowly braised oxtail complete the dish, with a little luxurious truffle thrown in for good measure.

Ingredients

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Metric

Imperial

Beef fillet

4 centre cut beef fillets

Braised oxtail

1 oxtail, cut into 6–8 pieces
2 carrots, chopped into 2cm pieces
1 leek, chopped into 2cm pieces
2 shallots, roughly chopped
4 celery sticks, chopped into 2cm pieces
1 sprig of thyme
3 star anise
1 bottle of red wine
100ml of Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar
1 tbsp of tomato purée
4l beef stock
lemon juice, to taste

Globe artichoke

3 globe artichokes, peeled
1 sprig of thyme
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
4 white peppercorns
110g of pomace oil
45g of Chardonnay vinegar
1 pinch of rock salt

Baby artichokes

8 baby globe artichokes, peeled
1 sprig of thyme
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
4 white peppercorns
110g of pomace oil
45g of Chardonnay vinegar
1 pinch of rock salt
1 dash of olive oil

Crosnes

150g of crosnes
1 sprig of thyme
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
4 white peppercorns
110g of pomace oil
45g of Chardonnay vinegar
1 pinch of rock salt

Truffle gel

10g of truffle oil
600g of milk
10g of agar agar
1 pinch of salt
lemon juice, to taste

Jerusalem artichoke purée

300g of Jerusalem artichoke, peeled and sliced
150g of unsalted butter
500g of vegetable stock
50g of double cream
1 pinch of rock salt
lemon juice, to taste

To serve

truffle, to garnish

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Vacuum bags
Chamber sealer
Water bath
Blender
Piping bag and nozzle (2)
Muslin cloth

Place the chopped oxtail and vegetables in a large bowl or dish and add the thyme and star anise. Pour over the red wine and leave to marinate for 24 hours

1 oxtail, cut into 6–8 pieces
2 carrots, chopped into 2cm pieces
1 leek, chopped into 2cm pieces
2 shallots, roughly chopped
4 celery sticks, chopped into 2cm pieces
1 sprig of thyme
3 star anise
1 bottle of red wine

After this time remove and drain the oxtail from the marinade, reserving the liquor for later. Place a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat and, once hot, seal the oxtail on all sides

Drain any excess fat from the pan, then return the oxtail to the heat and deglaze with the vinegar. Stir in the tomato purée and allow to cook out for 1 minute

100ml of Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar
1 tbsp of tomato purée

Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3

Pour the reserved marinade over the meat and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by three-quarters. Add the beef stock, bring the liquid to the boil then skim off any excess fat from the surface. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven to cook for 4 hours

4l beef stock

Preheat a water bath to 85°C

While the oxtail is braising, prepare the artichokes. Mix together all the ingredients for the globe artichokes, place in a vacuum bag and seal. Cook in the water bath for 45 minutes

3 globe artichokes, peeled
1 sprig of thyme
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
4 white peppercorns
110g of pomace oil
45g of Chardonnay vinegar
1 pinch of rock salt

Meanwhile, mix together the baby artichoke ingredients and seal in a separate vacuum bag. Add the baby artichokes to the water bath with the globe artichokes and cook for 35 minutes

8 baby globe artichokes, peeled
1 sprig of thyme
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
4 white peppercorns
110g of pomace oil
45g of Chardonnay vinegar
1 pinch of rock salt

Repeat for the crosnes, sealing in a vacuum bag with the other ingredients and adding to the water bath for 30 minutes. Once cooked, chill all 3 bags in iced water to cool

1 sprig of thyme
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
4 white peppercorns
110g of pomace oil
45g of Chardonnay vinegar
1 pinch of rock salt
150g of crosnes

Meanwhile, infuse the milk for the truffle gel. Place the truffle oil and milk in a pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat, cover the pan with cling film and leave to infuse for 30 minutes

10g of truffle oil
600g of milk

To make the Jerusalem artichoke purée, add the butter to a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat and cook until it begins to foam. Add the sliced Jerusalem artichokes and a pinch of salt, then cover the pan and allow to cook for 10 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking

150g of unsalted butter
300g of Jerusalem artichoke, peeled and sliced
1 pinch of rock salt

Once soft, add the vegetable stock and bring back up to the boil. Allow to simmer and reduce by half, then stir in the double cream. Bring the mixture back up to the boil briefly, then remove from the heat and transfer to a blender

500g of vegetable stock
50g of double cream

Blend the mixture to form a smooth purée, then season to taste with extra salt and a squeeze of lemon juice if required. Transfer to a piping bag and keep warm until ready to serve

lemon juice, to taste

Once the truffle and milk mixture has infused, return the pan to the heat and bring the liquid to the boil. Whisk in the agar agar and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking continuously. Pour into a deep tray and allow to set in the fridge until just before serving

10g of agar agar

Remove the braised oxtail from the heat and allow the meat to cool completely in the cooking liquor. Once cool, remove the meat from the bones, being careful to remove any excess fat. Set the meat aside

Return the cooking liquor to the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until reduced by half. Strain the liquor through a sieve lined with a muslin cloth and reserve until ready to serve

Once set, remove the truffle gel from the fridge and break up into pieces. Blitz in a blender to create a smooth gel and season to taste with salt and lemon juice. Transfer to a piping bag and set aside until ready to serve

1 pinch of salt
lemon juice, to taste

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Place a large ovenproof frying pan over a high heat and seal the beef fillets on all sides. Transfer to the oven and roast 8 minutes, then set aside to rest for 10 minutes

4 centre cut beef fillets

Meanwhile, add the oxtail meat to a pan with just enough of the reserved sauce to cover and place over a medium heat. Cook for 5–10 minutes until the meat is heated through and the sauce reduces to a sticky coating. Season with lemon juice to taste and keep warm

lemon juice, to taste

Add a dash of oil to a frying pan and allow to heat up. Remove the cooked artichokes from the vacuum bags and drain from their cooking liquid, then sauté in the oil over a medium heat for a few minutes until golden brown

1 dash of olive oil

To serve, pipe dots of the truffle gel on to serving plates along with larger dots of the artichoke purée. Scatter the mixed artichokes and sticky oxtail pieces across and grate over a little fresh truffle. Place a piece of beef fillet on each plate and serve immediately

truffle, to garnish

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Nigel Mendham

Nigel Mendham has proved himself to be as adaptable as he is talented, prospering in restaurants all over Britain and winning great acclaim for his deftly classical cuisine.

Beef fillets with braised oxtail and artichokes

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