Donnelly’s Red wine braised beef cheek, parsnips and thymeIngredients

To feed a family of 4

2 trimmed beef cheeks

Plain flour

Tomato puree

Red wine (1 large glass)

1ltr beef or chicken liquid stock

1 bunch thyme

1 carrot

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic

5 parsnips

50ml single cream

100ml milk

100ml water

Method

Beef cheek

Peel and roughly chop the carrot, onion and the garlic, then brown on a low heat in a frying pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Once browned add a sprig of thyme, 1 heaped table spoon of flour and 1 heaped tablespoon of tomato puree and continue cooking for 4 more minutes then move mix into your casserole dish.

Lightly dust the beef cheeks with flour and gently place into the same frying pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil and brown all sides on a medium heat then place cheeks onto the cooked vegetables.

Pour half the wine into the frying pan and scrape all the crispy bits off the pan with a wooden spoon and add all to the casserole dish.

Now add a pinch of salt and pepper, 3 sprigs thyme, your stock and the rest of wine to dish, cover with tin foil and cook at 180c for 1.5/2 hours or until you can put a knife through the cheek with no resistance.

Parsnips

Peel all the parsnips and roughly chop 4 into a saucepan with the milk, water, salt and pepper.

Simmer with a lid on, over a low heat until parsnips are soft and tender, then blend to a puree. Once smooth add the cream to make glossy and rich (add a splash of water if the consistency is too thick).

Peel the last parsnip down to the core and fry the peelings in oil until golden and crisp then place onto kitchen paper to soak out any excess oil.

Serve in a bowl, a big spoonful of puree in base, half an ox cheek rested on top, splash some of your cooking sauce over the cheek, then your parsnip crisps to garnish along with a few thyme leaves.

Enjoy!