Brookfield Roast Fillet of Beef with Pomme Puree, Cep Mushrooms, Crispy Pancetta and Baby Carrots

by Chris Wheeler, Executive Chef at Stoke Park and Author of The Ginger Chef 'Served Up' 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• beef fillets (6oz each)

For the vegetables:

• 12 baby turnips (peeled)
• 12 baby cep mushrooms
• 12 baby carrots (peeled)

For the garnish

• 3 slices of pancetta
• 200g pomme purée
• (mashed potatoes)
• 2 celery sticks (chopped)
• ¼ butternut squash
• 50g curly kale
• 150ml red wine jus
• 5g sugar
• 10g butter to season

Method

1. Peel the squash and the celery, cut into 1cm cubes. Blanch in salted water for approximately 5 minutes before draining. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until golden brown and soft.
2. Place the pancetta between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper on a baking tray, weigh down with another tray to keep the pancetta flat. Oven cook for 6 minutes until the pancetta is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool and crisp.
3. Place the turnips in a saucepan with cold water, a little salt and the sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. In another saucepan, add the carrots and celery, cold water and salt. Simmer for around 5 minutes. Separately toss the carrots, celery and turnips in butter and season.
4. Wash and pan-fry the mushrooms in olive oil until soft. Season to taste and then cut each one in half. Wash and sauté the curly kale in olive oil before seasoning to taste.
5. Season and pan-fry on both sides to seal the beef. Place in the oven for approximately 6 minutes for medium rare, longer for different preferences.
6. To Serve:  Pipe the pomme purée into a twist in the middle of the plate and a ball on one side of the plate – garnish with the curly kale, butternut squash and celery. Slice the beef in half and arrange one half on top of the purée and the other on the side of the plate – sprinkle with sea salt. Arrange the carrots, turnips, mushrooms and pancetta around the plate and then drizzle the red wine jus.