Beef pot roast, with white wine and french style aromatics

Winter cooking can be so comforting. When it's cold and wet outside and you have no choice but to stay indoors, what could be better than to take your time creating a warm, tasty meal for your family. Preparing all of your ingredients with care, and then very slowly roasting a nice piece of beef till it's succulent and soft. The aromas permeating your home for the entire afternoon, engendering feelings of being in a European villa with frosted windows and foggy views. Until finally, it's ready. Serve it with some green vegetables and french style potatoes, it makes a dreary grey sky feel romantic.

Ingredients for slow roasting the beef:

Topside  beef roast, approximately 1kg

plain flour for coating beef

salt

freshly ground pepper

olive oil

1 large carrot, peeled and cut in halves

4 sticks of celery, washed and cut into large pieces

1 brown onion, peeled and cut in half

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

1/2  bunch of flat leaf parsley, washed

2 sticks of rosemary, washed

1 bottle of dry white wine





Ingredients for Gravy:

 3-4 cups of the stock from the roasting pot

1/3 cup of cold tap water

2 teaspoons of corn flour

salt, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius

Mix a few grindings of pepper and about 2 teaspoons of salt through the flour. Coat the roast on all sides with the seasoned flour.

In a heavy based saucepan heat enough olive oil to cover the base, sear the roast on all sides over high heat until the flour is golden and crispy.

Take off the heat and deglaze the bottom of the saucepan with some of the white wine. Add all of the vegetables and herbs arranging them evenly under and around the roast. Pour remainder of the wine and a little water if needed so that there is enough liquid to cover the roast.

Cover with tight fitting lid and place in the pre-heated oven, cook at this low temperature for at least 4 hours. I like to very carefully turn the roast over after 2 hours and place back in the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.

Remove roast from liquid and let it rest for a minimum of 1/2 an hour, can be longer because it is re-heated in the oven before serving.

After it has rested, cut the piece of fat that is covering one side off and slice roast into thick pieces. Place in an oven proof dish that has a lid.

Turn oven to 160 degrees celsius.

 Strain about 3 cups of the stock you have made from the roasting pot into a smaller saucepan, put onto a high heat & add salt to taste.

 Mix the corn flour into the water and stir to form a smooth liquid paste, gradually add corn flour mixture into the strained stock and stir. Cook this for 10-15 minutes, it should slightly thicken and you need to cook out the taste of flour.

Pour the gravy over the sliced roast beef, put into the oven uncovered for 10 minutes, then place lid onto dish and cook for another 20 minutes.

Your pot roast should be hot, tender and beautifully moistened by the tasty gravy.

Serves 4-6 depending on size of topside beef roast.

Preface

'Love, to taste' will be a series of recipe's that I re-create and photograph. They may be tried & tested old favourites of mine, old traditional family recipe's I love, or maybe even new creations that work.

I love to cook for my family and friends, it is a passion for me and a creative outlet. I also love to write, and truly believe that every recipe has a story and if the partaker or re-creator knows that story it adds to the enchanment of the experience. So along with my recipe's will be stories and memories of what that recipe means to me.

I'd like to take this opportunity to name & thank (those of whom I can) my inspirations.
It all starts with the best cook I have ever known, my Nonna. Her food was meticulous, traditionally simple and always cooked with love for her family.
My Mum for sitting me on the stool in the kitchen from such an early age, teaching me all she knew and then handing over the wooden spoon.
My Dad for being the first male in my life to be willing to taste all of my creations and always be encouraging. He was a firm believer that if you cook with passion and love who you are cooking for, it will always work out.
My technologically genius husband John, who taught me how to blog and who continues to inspire me with every gratitude for the meal or baked good I give him.
Finally, to the future. My daughter Willow, who at only 2 years old is already displaying great interest in the kitchen. It brings me so much joy & feelings of love to see her smiling face as she makes cakes with mummy and learns everything I have to teach her.

So with the right ingredients, a correct method and Love, to taste, you have the recipe for inspiration. Enjoy!