A delicious exclusive for you to enjoy this week.
Father's Day is fast approaching and we can guarantee that this recipe from The Three Qs, a family restaurant in Greystones that sadly shut during the pandemic, will be delicious enough to put a smile on your dad's face. Try it out below and let us know what you think.
Slow-cooked beef brisket with shallot confit, potato gratin and roasted parsnips
Serves 6 – 8
"Brisket is a really flavourful cut of meat that was ignored in this country for years. When visiting family in America, we became fascinated by their obsession with brisket. We created this recipe to introduce this fantastic cut of meat to our community." - The Three Qs
Ingredients
For the beef brisket
2½ kg beef brisket
Salt
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3 large onions, finely sliced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
3 bay leaves
400ml beef stock
For the gratin
1kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled
1 large Spanish onion, finely sliced
560ml cream
1 pinch nutmeg
Black pepper
100g cheddar, grated
For the shallot confit
1kg large shallots, peeled and finely sliced
50g butter
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp chopped thyme
For the roasted parsnips
8 parsnips, peeled
3 tbsp butter
½ tbsp chopped rosemary
½ tbsp chopped thyme
Method
- Preheat the oven to 140C/gas mark 1. The brisket should have one side covered in a fatty layer, which you want to keep. If there are any other large fatty lumps, remove them with a sharp knife. Score the fatty layer and sprinkle with salt.
- Heat a pot large enough to fit the brisket over a medium-high heat. Place the brisket, fatty side down, in the pot and cook for 5 – 8 minutes to brown the fat. Flip the brisket and brown the other side for a couple of minutes. Remove the brisket from the pot and reserve.
- There should be some rendered fat from the brisket left on the bottom of the pot, but if there isn’t, add the oil, then add the onions. Increase to a high heat and season with salt. Lightly brown the onions, while stirring, for 5 – 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes
- Return the brisket to the pot, then add the herbs and beef stock. Bring to the boil and cover the pot with a lid or tinfoil.
- Place in the oven and cook for four hours, turning the brisket every one hour to ensure even cooking.
- To make the gratin, preheat an oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Slice the potatoes very thinly by hand or using a food processor fitted with a slicing attachment. In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes, onion, cream, nutmeg and a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Butter a deep, medium-sized baking dish and neatly press in the mix. Top with the cheddar and bake for one hour.
- To make the shallot confit, melt the butter in a large pot over a low heat. Add the shallots and cook slowly for 15 – 20 minutes, uncovered, until very soft. Add the sugar and thyme and simmer for a further 10 – 15 minutes, then remove from the heat. The final consistency should be thick and syrupy.
- To make the parsnips, preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Top and tail the parsnips and cut into four lengthways. Place the parsnips in an even layer in a baking tray. Coat with the butter, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and the herbs. Bake the parsnips in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- After four hours, remove the brisket from the oven and rest on a chopping board, covered with tinfoil, for 15 – 20 minutes. Strain the liquid from the brisket pot. Discard the solids and place the liquid in a pot. Reduce by half and check seasoning.
- Cut the brisket into six equal portions, place on a baking tray and cover with the shallot confit. Grill for a couple of minutes to reheat the brisket and slightly set the confit. Gently reheat the sauce over medium heat, but avoid reducing. Cut the gratin into six equal portions and divide between six plates. Place the parsnips and brisket on each plate, drizzle with the sauce and serve.
TIP: Leftover brisket makes an amazing sandwich the next day. Try it with some sautéed onions and some horseradish sauce.
Recipe by The Three Qs
