Spiced corned beef with mustard sauce
Corned beef can make an excellent midweek meal and roasting it slowly in water keeps it really moist.
Ingredients
For the spiced corned beef
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp allspice berries
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1.3kg/3lb corned beef, with fat (ideally from the butchers)
For the choucroute
- 150g/5½ oz pancetta, diced
- 1 tsp chopped thyme
- 2 juniper berries
- large handful of choucroute or sauerkraut
- 100ml/3½ fl oz wheat beer
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the mustard sauce
- 20g/¾ oz unsalted butter
- 2 banana shallots, peeled and diced
- 1 tarragon sprig, leaves picked
- 50ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar
- 120ml/4fl oz white wine
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cornichon topping
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 1 banana shallot, peeled and diced
- 4 cornichons, diced
- 1 tbsp baby capers
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- splash white wine vinegar
Method
For the spiced corned beef, roughly grind the peppercorns, allspice, cloves and coriander seeds with a pestle and mortar. Mix in the sugar.
Spread a thin layer of mustard over the fat of the beef and then spread the sugar and spices mixture over the mustard.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Put the beef in a roasting tin and fill the tin with water a quarter of the way up the side of the meat. Cover with foil and roast for 2 hours. Remove the foil and roast for another hour. Leave to rest before cutting into slices.
For the choucroute, cook the pancetta in a frying pan with the thyme and juniper until the pancetta is crispy. Add the choucroute and pour in the beer. Cook until the liquid is reduced. Season with salt and pepper.
For the mustard sauce, heat the butter in a frying pan and sweat the shallots and tarragon for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the cream and bring back to the boil. Stir in the mustards and season with salt and pepper.
For the topping, place all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
Serve the slices of corned beef with the choucroute and mustard sauce on the side and the topping spooned over the top.
