This recipe is from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall with a little alteration by me.A wonderful dish for a cold day, great for feeding a crowd or, perhaps even better, feeding just a few of you with plenty of leftovers for the next day. Serves eight to 10.
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme 2 tsp sweet paprika 2 tsp sea salt 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp dry English mustard 1 tsp dark muscovado sugar 2kg brisket 2 tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil 200g slab gammon or bacon, cut into 1cm cubes 500ml dry red wine or dark beer 200ml beef stock 2 large onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced 12 small shallots, peeled 10 garlic cloves, peeled 3 bay leaves 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces 4 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces 1 large swede, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces 1 medium celeriac , peeled and cut as above (optional)
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Mix the first six ingredients in a small bowl, then rub the spice blend all over the beef.
In a large, heavy-bottomed casserole, warm the oil over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until just crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to kitchen towel to drain. Pour off all but three tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add the seasoned beef and brown on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate. Add the red wine or beer to the pot and bring to a boil, scraping up all the tasty browned bits from the bottom as it does so. Boil until reduced to around 150ml – about five minutes. Add the stock and return the bacon to the pan. Put half the onions, shallots, garlic and a bay leaf in the pan, place the beef on top and scatter the remaining onions, shallots, garlic and bay leaves around it.
Pop a lid on the pot and roast for an hour. Remove, turn over the beef and cook, covered, for another hour, adding water by the 100ml if it begins to look dry. Transfer the beef to a plate. Add the root veg to the pot, stir to coat and place the brisket on top. Cover the pot and roast until beef and veg are tender – about 45 minutes more. Transfer the beef to a warmed platter. Spoon off some of the fat from the surface of the sauce. Season the sauce to taste, pour over the beef and serve with the veg.