Me:Mo Cooks…Valentine’s Day

The big day is coming up – and as a team of foodies, we can all agree that nothing says “I love you” better than delicious food! And what could be better than a romantic recipe from the one and only Galvin at Windows?

This year, take your Valentine’s Day celebrations to new heights with a Beef Bourguignon with crushed celeriac and smoked pancetta recipe shared by Marc Hardiman, Head Chef at Galvin at Windows.

For this, you’ll need:

Ingredients

500g British grass-fed beef feather blade, cut into 4 equal portions (if you’re unsure, ask your butcher to do that for you

4 tbsp rapeseed oil for frying

Plain flour (or Gluten Free flour) for dusting

8 button mushrooms

4 rashers smoked pancetta or bacon, sliced into 1cm x 4 cm

8 baby onions, peeled

8 smal​l new potatoes, peeled

1 litre good quality beef stock

1 celeriac, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces

15g unsalted butter, plus extra 25g for the sauce (optional) and extra 100g for celeriac mash

1 thyme sprig

1 tarragon sprig, leaves picked and chopped

1 tbsp freshly chopped chives

For the marinade

300ml good quality red wine

200ml ruby port

5 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

1 carrot, diced

1 onion, sliced

1 stick celery, cut in 3cm lengths

3 bay leaves

1 thyme sprig

Now onto the method, guided by Galvin at Windows’s star Head Chef Marc Hardiman:

1. Place all ingredients for the marinade with the beef. Cover and place in the fridge for 6 hours. The longer the better, so you can even start this recipe the day before Valentine’s. (Love is all about patience, isn’t it?). One marinated, remove the beefand set remaining marinade to use later.

2. Heat a medium casserole dish with 2–3 tbsp oil over a medium-high heat. Dust the beeflightly with the flour and season lightly. Sear the beef on all sides until browned then set aside.

3. Add a bit more oil to the casserole dish then fry the pancetta/ bacon,vegetables, and garlic until well coloured and caramelised. Chef tip: you don’t want to add much salt at this stage, you can season again just before serving. Set aside.

4. Put the beefin the pot with reserved wine and vegetable marinade and reduce over a high heat until it becomes syrupy (about 30 min or until reduced by half). Pour in the stock, bring up to boil and transfer to the oven at 130ºC fan/gas 4 for 1 hour 30 minutes. Chef tip: you want to cook this low and slow to get all those flavours developing.

5. Add the mushrooms, pancetta, baby onions and potatoes then cook for a further 15 minutes or until vegetables are al dente.

6. Once beef and vegetables are cooked, leave on the side until the temperature has cooled down to room temperature. This takes a bit of patience but resting the meat in the braising liquid is critical for juicy and tender beef.

7. Carefully take the meat and vegetables out and reduce the liquid slowly over a medium-low heat until it reaches desired consistency, then check the flavour and season to taste.

8. Add the extra butter for a velvety texture and richness. Put the ​beefand vegetables back in the pan and let it warm up again in the sauce.

9. Meanwhile, cook the celeriac slowly in a pan of salted boiling water with the thyme until very tender (about 20-25 minutes). Strain, then put the celeriac in a bowl, crush using a potato masher with a little butter and salt and pepper, then sprinkle with chopped tarragon and chives before serving.

10. Divide the celeriac between 4 warmed bowls or plates positioning in the centre of each dish, then place a piece of beef on top of each with the vegetables arranged around to garnish. Finish by spooning over the reduced sauce

Voilà! Dinner is served and we’re feeling completely in love already! Galvin at Windows truly is one of the most romantic spots in London, so bringing that romance home is all we could ask for on this special occasion ✨

If you’d like to grab a hard copy of this fabulous recipe, you’ll be able to find it in this month’s Delicious Magazine. One to keep and treasure for any special occasion coming up…

If you’d like to see more of our fantastic recipes, check them out here.

If cooking is not quite your thing – please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll share our list of hidden gems for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day in London ♥️ (we’ve got PLENTY!)