Rosemary and juniper roast beef with bacon and mushroom mash

Rosemary and juniper roast beef with bacon and mushroom mash

Team classic roast beef with hearty, flavoured mash and a rich, savoury cream sauce

, 28 October 2020

(1 vote)

Rosemary and juniper roast beef with bacon and mushroom mash

  • 1 Hour 25 Mins

  • Serves: 10

  • Price: £2.03 per serving

Nutritional Info
Each 412g serving contains

  • Energy

    2620KJ

    626KCAL

    31%

  • Fat

    32.5g

    high

    46%

  • Saturates

    14.4g

    high

    72%

  • Sugars

    3.3g

    low

    4%

  • Salt

    1.61g

    med

    27%
of your reference intake.
Typical energy values per 100g: 636kJ/152kcal.
Ingredients
  • Extra Special 30-day Matured Beef Joint (approx 1.4kg)
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 heads garlic, halved
  • 5 extra garlic cloves, 3 peeled and chopped, 2 peeled and crushed
  • 1tsp whole black peppercorns
  • 2tbsp juniper berries
  • 2tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 6 shallots, halved
  • 5 sprigs thyme, 3 whole, 2 with the leaves picked
  • 5 bay leaves, plus extra to garnish (optional)
  • 100ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 40g unsalted butter
  • ¼tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2x155g packs Butcher’s Selection Unsmoked Lean Diced Bacon
  • 250g Grower’s Selection White Mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 reduced-salt chicken stock cube, made up to 300ml with boiling water
  • 150ml reduced-fat crème fraîche
  • 6 baking potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
Method

  • Take the beef out of the fridge 1hr before roasting, to bring it up to room temperature.

  • Preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9.

  • Remove the netting from the beef. With a sharp knife, cut small slits in the meat; fill each with a little rosemary followed by a small peeled clove of garlic.

  • Place the peppercorns, juniper berries, 2 sprigs of the rosemary and the 3 chopped cloves garlic in a food processor. Pulse into a rough paste. Alternatively, grind together in a pestle and mortar.

  • Rub the paste all over the beef, then drizzle over ½ the oil. Place in a roasting dish a little larger than the beef joint. Surround with any garlic left over from the heads, plus the shallots, whole thyme sprigs, 3 of the bay leaves, and the remaining rosemary.

  • Put the beef into the oven and turn down the heat to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Roast for 1 hr, occasionally basting with the juices, for a medium roast; add 10 mins for well done; subtract 10 mins for rare. Cover with foil after 40 mins if it’s turning too dark.

  • Remove the beef from the oven, cover with foil and set aside to rest for 15 mins.

  • Meanwhile, make the mash. Put the milk, butter, nutmeg, crushed garlic and 2 remaining bay leaves in a small pan. Bring to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Set aside to infuse for 30 mins, then strain; discard the garlic and bay leaves.

  • While the milk is infusing, heat the remaining oil inafrying pan on a medium setting. Add the bacon and mushrooms; fry for 10 mins until crisp and golden. Set ½ aside.

  • Add the stock to the pan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 mins. Remove from the heat; stir through the crème fraîche and the thyme leaves. Season with black pepper. Keep warm on a low heat, stirring occasionally.

  • Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15-20 mins until tender. Drain and leave to steam dry for 30 secs, then return to the pan and mash until smooth.

  • Add the infused milk to the mash, beating it in with a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy. Fold the rest of the bacon and mushroom mixture through the mash; season with black pepper.

  • Transfer the beef, shallots, garlic and herbs to a platter and garnish with the extra bay leaves, if using. Carve to serve, with the mash and the sauce on the side.