Pot-Roasted Beef with Potato and Horseradish Cake

                                                     

As promised, a Passover friendly recipe for those of you seeking inspiration this week. This flavourful dish pairs a richly flavoured roast with a great twist on spuds.

The closest thing I’ve ever had to the potato “cake” are scalloped potatoes, but of course the horseradish brings an entirely new accent to the dish. It worked perfectly with the wine and rosemary infused beef.

                                                                                      

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Pot-Roasted Beef with Potato and Horseradish Cake

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 lb beef tenderloin, trimmed (pot roast a suitable substitute)
Salt and black pepper
6 fresh rosemary sprigs, stems discarded
1 bulb of garlic, broken up, cloves left whole with skins on
Extra virgin olive oil
4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 heaped tablespoons horseradish
1/2 bottle of Merlot wine
1/3 lb butter or margarine

Preparation:

  1. Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a bowl, mash up the rosemary with a clove of garlic. Loosen with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then rub this all over the beef.
  2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Parboil the sliced potatoes in boiling, salted water for around 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, and transfer to a bowl with just enough olive oil to coat them. Season well with salt & pepper. To make the potato cake use a round greased or non-stick cake tin. Place half the potatoes into the tin or pan, smearing the horseradish over the top. Place the rest of the potatoes on top then pat down and put to one side.
  3. Brown the beef on all sides in a pan over high heat. Add the garlic cloves to a snug-fitting roasting pan, then place the beef on top of them and put in the oven with the potatoes on the shelf below. Cook for 25 minutes, then turn the beef over, baste it and add the red wine (depending on the size of your roast and pan, be sure not to exceed coming half way up the beef) and butter to the pan. Remove the potato dish then carefully place a clean tea towel over it and push down to compact the potatoes into a nice tight cake. Put the potatoes and beef back into the oven for another 20-25 minutes. If using a meat thermometer, allow the beef to reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
  4. Remove the beef from the roasting pan and set aside on a cutting board, tented with foil. Mash up the garlic cloves, then pass the remaining sauce through a sieve.
  5. Carve the beef into slices. Divide the potato cake between 4 serving plates and serve alongside the meat. Pour some of the jus over top of the beef.

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