Ingredients

• 2 ox cheeks
• 300ml/10½fl oz red wine
• 100ml/3½fl oz port
• 1 small onion
• roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery
• roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot
• roughly chopped
• ½ head garlic
• smashed
• ¼ bunch fresh thyme
• 3g black peppercorns
• crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 150g/5½oz horseradish cream
• 1kg/2lb 4oz Ratte potatoes
• 75g/2½oz butter
• 75g/2½oz milk
• 4 x 7.5cm/3in veal marrow bones
• 250g/9oz chicken stock
• 125g/4½oz unsalted butter
• salt and pepper
• 4 small carrots
• left whole
• 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
• ½ sourdough loaf
• crust removed
• broken into breadcrumbs
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• leaves picked

Directions

• For the braised ox cheeks
• place all the ingredients in a large bowl and marinade for 24 hours.
• When marinated
• put everything in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Skim off any impurities which rise to the surface.
• Simmer for 2-2½ hours
• or until the ox cheeks are tender. Leave to cool in the cooking liquor.
• Once cooled
• remove the ox cheeks from the liquor and strain the liquor through a fine sieve. Place the sieved liquor in a clean pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced and the sauce has a glaze consistency. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• For the horseradish pomme purée
• blend the horseradish cream in a food processor for five minutes
• then pass through a fine sieve.
• In a pan of boiling salted water
• cook the Ratte potatoes until they are tender. Drain and set aside to cool for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle
• peel the potatoes and put them through a ricer. Stir in the butter
• milk and horseradish cream to taste.
• For the roasted bone marrow
• preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Place the veal marrow bones on a baking tray and roast in the oven for approximately 12 minutes
• or until the marrow reaches a core temperature of 70C/158F on a meat thermometer. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• For the roasted carrots
• put the chicken stock and 75g/2½oz butter in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Whisk to combine and season generously. Add the carrots and par boil. Add the remaining butter to a pan and heat until foaming. Add the carrots and cook until tender.
• For the breadcrumbs
• melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming. Add the breadcrumbs and fry until crisp and golden-brown. Add the thyme leaves
• stir through and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
• To serve
• spoon the horseradish purée into a shallow serving bowl. Divide the ox cheeks among the bowls
• placing it on top. Put the carrots and veal bones next to the ox cheek. Drizzle the sauce over and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.