Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 ox cheeks
• trimmed and cut in half
• 1 large onion
• finely chopped
• 1 stick celery
• finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• finely chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 carrots
• peeled and finely chopped
• 300ml/10fl oz Pedro Ximenez
• 2 litres/3½ pints good-quality chicken stock
• 1kg/2lb 4oz Maris Piper potatoes
• peeled and cut into chunks
• 200g/7oz unsalted butter
• 300ml/10fl oz double cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• handful fresh kale
• leaves only
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp chives
• finely snipped
• to serve

Directions

• To make the ox cheeks
• heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in an ovenproof casserole dish. Lightly season the ox cheeks and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pan
• add a little more oil and add the onions
• garlic
• carrot and celery. Cook slowly over a low-medium heat until caramelised. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a further 2 minutes.
• Pour in the Pedro Ximenez and simmer until the volume of the liquid has reduced by three quarters
• then add the stock. Simmer again until the volume of the liquid has reduced by a third.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Pass the sauce through a sieve into a clean bowl
• discarding the vegetables. Return the cheeks to the casserole dish and cover with the sauce. Cook in the oven for 2½ to 3 hours.
• After 3 hours cooking
• the cheeks should be tender and falling apart and the sauce beautifully glossy. If not. remove the cheeks from the pan
• reduce the sauce over a medium heat to a glossy consistency and then return the cheeks to the pan.
• Meanwhile
• to make the mashed potatoes
• bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 –20 minutes or until soft. Drain and leave to steam dry in the colander.
• Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer
• add the unsalted butter and cream and beat to a smooth purée. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the kale until wilted.
• Divide the mashed potatoes between serving plates and top with half an ox cheek. Pile over the kale and spoon over the sauce. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives and serve.