Oxtail and celeriac 'lasagne' with baby spinach and horseradish cream

Lightly flour the pieces of an oxtail. Place a pan over a high heat and add olive oil. Once the pan is scorching hot, add the floured oxtail. Cook until evenly browned all over. Remove from the pan and place on absorbent kitchen towel.

Add 200 ml red wine and allow to reduce by half. Add 800 ml beef stock and the oxtail pieces. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until very tender. This should take 3-4 hours

Once braised, remove the meat from the liquid and allow to cool. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve and then return to a pan over a high heat. Reduce until you have a thick, gravy like consistency 

Reduce the heat slightly to medium and add a dash of fresh olive oil.  Cut 2 large carrots into small cubes, slice 1/2 a celery stick, 1/2 an onion, 1 leek , 1/2 a bulb of garlic. Add 4 sprigs of thyme. and the vegetables to the pan. Cook gently until soft and then stir through a tbsp tomato purée and some flour

Pick the meat from the bones and moisten in the reduced sauce. Season to taste.

Thinly slice half a celeriac into 12 thin sheets, using a mandoline, cut into large circles and blanch in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes. Refresh in ice water

Dice the remaining celeriac and boil in salted water until tender, place in a food processor with 100 ml double cream and 1/2 tsp nutmeg and blend into a smooth purée. 

In a pan over a medium heat, sauté 500 g baby spinach in a knob of  butter until tender, season and keep warm

In a large bowl, mix 100 ml double cream with 2 tbsp  grated horseradish and add a pinch of salt and sugar. Use a hand whisk to whip until thick.

In a small bowl layer up like a lasagna:

chopped chives

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horseradish cream

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celerica disc

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braised oxtail 

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celeriac disc

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celeriac purée

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celeriac disc

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spinach

Serve immediately

Next time i'll make a better picture,

Recipe from Matthew Tomkinson on Great British Chefs

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