1
Trim the cheek of any excess fat and connective tissue, and place it in a bowl with the wine, vegetables, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate overnight
- 1 ox cheek
- 200ml of white wine
- 1 onion, roughly diced
- 1 celery stick, roughly diced
- 1 carrot, roughly diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme
2
The following day, lift out the cheek and vegetables and pat them dry. Pour the liquor into a saucepan and bring to the boil, skimming off any impurities. Pass through a fine sieve
3
Season and the cheek all over, the sear in a hot frying pan with a dash of oil until coloured all over. Transfer into a large saucepan. Fry the vegetables in the same frying pan, then add to the saucepan along with the cheek. Pour in the strained marinade, bring to the boil, then add the veal stock. Bring to the boil again, then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and leave it to cook, covered, for up to 5 hours. Make sure the pan doesn't get too dry – add a drop of water if necessary
- olive oil, for cooking
- 500ml of brown veal stock
4
Once cooked the cheek should be soft to the touch but not falling apart. Remove the cheek (reserving the liquid for later), place it between sheets of cling film onto a clean tray and press down with a weight. Refrigerate overnight
5
The next day, trim the cheek and cut into 4 even strips. Coat each strip in seasoned flour, then in egg, and finally in breadcrumbs. Set aside until ready to cook later
- 100g of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten and let down with a splash of water
- 200g of breadcrumbs
6
Pass the reserved liquid, discarding the vegetables, and reduce over a high heat to 200ml – this will be the base for the sauce diable
7
To make the nettle purée, boil the onion and potato in lightly salted water until soft. Blanch the nettles in the same water for 1 minute, then refresh in iced water. Blend the onion and potato in a blender (add a bit of cooking water if necessary), then add the nettles. If the purée is a bit thin, you can use the xanthan gum to thicken it a little. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl over ice and season. Reserve for later
- 100g of onion
- 125g of potatoes, peeled
- 25g of nettle tops
- 2 tsp xanthan gum, (optional)
8
Preheat an oven to 160ºC/gas mark 2. Remove the stalks of the peppers, cut in half and remove the seeds. Place onto a tray, season and moisten with a little olive oil, cover tightly with tin foil to create some steam and place into the oven. After about 45 minutes you should be able to peel the skin away from the peppers. Once skinned, cut them into long strips about half a centimetre wide and reserve for later
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- olive oil
9
Use a turning knife to peel and shape the sweet potatoes into ovals, around 6cm in length. Place them in a single layer in a suitable pan, cover with the water and add a pinch of salt and the butter. Bring to a simmer and cook until the water has evaporated – the butter will help to colour the potatoes. Once cooked, remove the potatoes and reserve for later
- 2 sweet potatoes, approximately 250g each
- 50g of unsalted butter
- 300ml of water
- salt
10
To make the sauce, place the red wine vinegar, white wine, white pepper, shallot and tarragon in a pan and heat until reduced to a thick syrup consistency. When almost dry, add the reserved and reduced 200ml of cooking liquor. Remove the tarragon and reduce to a thin sauce consistency. Pass through a fine sieve, season and reserve for later
- 15ml of red wine vinegar
- 50ml of white wine
- 1 pinch of freshly ground white pepper
- 25g of shallots, diced
- 1 sprig of tarragon
- salt
- black pepper
11
Bring a small pan of oil up to 170ºC, and carefully deep-fry the breadcrumbed ox cheek strips until golden brown in colour. Drain on a sheet of kitchen paper and keep warm
- oil, for deep-frying
12
Season the fillet steaks all over. Place a frying pan over a very high heat and, once hot, sear the steaks on both sides. Reduce the heat and cook for another 3 minutes on each side, then remove from the pan and set aside to rest
- 4 fillet steaks, approximately 140g each
- salt
- black pepper
13
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Blanch the asparagus and grelot onions for one minute, then add the cavolo nero and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain and and toss in melted butter
- 8 asparagus spears, peeled and woody ends removed
- 100g of cavolo nero, leaves only
- 8 grelot onions, white part only
- 3 tbsp of butter, melted
14
Add the sweet potatoes to the frying pan and reheat them gently. Meanwhile, reheat the nettle purée in a separate pan. Reheat the ox cheek in the oven if necessary, and warm the sauce on the hob
15
To serve, divide the cavolo nero between 4 warmed plates. Place the fillet steak on top, then the potato fondant alongside. Put the breaded ox cheek on top of the potato and drape with slices of pepper. Add a spoonful of the nettle puree and use a spoon to swoop it across the plate, then arrange the asparagus and grelot onion on top. Finish with the sauce diable and serve
