Ingredients

• 250g/9oz braising steak
• ½ onion
• roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• crushed
• 1 small carrot
• roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 400ml/14fl oz beef stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 300g/10½oz '00' pasta flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove
• chopped
• 250g/9oz wild mushrooms (chanterelles
• girolles
• ceps
• button mushrooms
• morelles)
• 3 tbsp Madeira
• 500ml/18fl oz dark chicken stock
• 300ml/10fl oz double cream
• handful fresh tarragon leaves
• chopped
• 2tbsp fresh chervil leaves
• for garnish

Directions

• For the braised beef filling
• preheat the oven to 150C/130C (fan)/Gas 2.
• Put all the ingredients in a lidded ovenproof dish and cook for 2-3 hours
• or until the beef is very tender. Remove the beef from the dish and shred into small strips. Place in a bowl with a little cooking liquor and set aside.
• Put the flour
• three eggs and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until it forms small crumbs. Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and bring together to form a dough. Knead lightly for 2-3 minutes
• or until smooth and elastic. Roll into a ball
• wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Lightly flour your pasta machine to prevent the dough from sticking. Take the dough ball from the fridge
• and flatten it slightly with a rolling pin
• then starting at the lowest (thickest) setting
• feed the dough through the machine
• turning the handle with one hand and holding the dough as it comes through the machine with the other.
• Change the setting on the pasta machine to the next-thickest setting
• flour it again and feed the pasta sheet through the machine again
• as before. Repeat this process
• flouring the machine and changing the setting down each time
• until you reach the thinnest setting. You can cut the pasta into smaller individual sheets and work on them individually
• keeping the remaining unused dough covered under cling film to prevent it drying out.
• Beat the remaining egg in a bowl. Cut out circles from the pasta sheets using a 6cm/2½in pastry cutter
• then brush each circle with the beaten egg. Place a heaped teaspoon of the beef filling onto one half of the circle
• then fold over the other half and press together to seal. Bring the two corners together to create a ring and pinch to seal. Repeat with the remaining pasta and filling mixture
• placing the completed tortellini on a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Cover with cling film until ready to cook.
• For the mushroom sauce
• heat the butter in a large frying pan until foaming. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes
• or until golden-brown and the liquid from the mushrooms has been released. Pour in the Madeira and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half
• then add the stock and reduce again by half. Stir in the cream and tarragon and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
• To cook the tortellini
• bring a large pan of salted water to the boil
• add the tortellini and cook for 1-2 minutes or until they float to the surface then remove with a slotted spoon and drain.
• Place the tortellini in a serving bowl and pour over the sauce. Garnish with fresh chervil.