Aged Eye Fillet and 48 Hour Braised Short Rib with thyme Scented Fondant Potatoes, Carrot Puree and a Truffled Wild Mushroom Jus

Ingredients – Serves 4

Short Ribs

4 bone Short ribs on the half bone

100g Carrots peeled and roughly chopped

100g White Onion peeled and roughly chopped

100g Celery peeled and roughly chopped

50g Garlic peeled and roughly chopped

300ml bottle cheap Red wine

1 litre Chicken stock

Salt and Pepper

Carrot Puree

2 Large Jumbo Carrots peeled and roughly chopped

150ml Cream

2 cups Chicken Stock

Salt and Pepper

Truffled Wild Mushroom Jus

200ml Good jus or gravy

100g Wild mushrooms

20ml or 25g Truffle oil or preferably paste

Fondant Potatoes

50g Thyme

300ml Chicken stock

100g Butter

3 Large Potatoes

Salt and Pepper

Also 4 x 120g Eye fillets

Method

Ok this may seem difficult but if you want to impress then this is the recipe you should use!

Firstly tackle the short ribs

1. Sear the seasoned ribs until dark and well caramelised

2. In the same pan sauté all the vegetables

3. Put all the vegetables at the bottom of your braising dish with the ribs on top.

4. Deglaze the fry pan by adding the red wine then pour the wine into braining tray. Cover the ribs with chicken stock and water.

5. You have 2 options from here, braise at 180°C for a couple of hours until the bone can be pulled away from the meat easily. (You just want to test this not actually pull the bone out)

6. Or like in the restaurant you can braise it for 48 hours at 85° but you may not have an oven spare to do this or the time!

You can do this stage the day before but it will be easier to portion when it’s cold and firms up.

Also the day before you can do carrot puree

Boil the carrots in the chicken stock until tender and blend with a stick blender whilst adding the cream until smooth. Season and taste, refrigerate until needed.

Finally the Day Before Make The Jus

Lightly sauté the truffle paste and wild mushrooms in a small pot and add your jus or gravy bring to boil and set aside until needed.

On the Day

1. Start with your fondant potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch thick round discs.

2. When they are cut lay them into a tray deep enough to comfortably take all the liquid.

3. Cover the potatoes in the chicken stock completely. Season and add fresh thyme.

4. Cut the butter into rough pieces and dot it around the tray. Season.

5. Cover with tin foil then put it into an oven at 200°C.

6. Cooking times vary depending on your shape and size. Put when the knife can just pierce the potato with very little pressure they are ready.

7. You can serve immediately or set aside for later.

For Serving

1. Slice the ribs so you have one bone per person and put into an oven along with the fondants (not in liquid) until they are hot.

2. Meanwhile reheat the jus and carrot puree.

3. Separately heat a frying pan large enough to fit your fillets in, add a little oil and season the fillets.

4. When the pan is smoking add the fillets and cook to the desired degree. Personally with filet I prefer to caramelise all the surfaces and this should be a perfect degree of cooking.

Serve as you prefer, you can follow the photograph if you like.