Just out of the oven and ready for a rest

Potatoes and cauliflower with a punchy taste
Always room for dessert

It has been a while since I’ve made roast beef, a traditional favourite of mine. Not only does it reward diners with satisfying flavour and a succulent, tender texture, but this is a meal that pretty much cooks itself. Preparation is minimal, serving up is swift and the oven does the majority of the work.

There are various cuts of beef suitable for roasting and they vary in price, flavour and tenderness. I have tried them all, from the most basic and inexpensive blade steak, to the opposite end of the spectrum being a butter soft whole eye fillet. My two picks of the bunch are either scotch fillet or sirloin. Both have a rich beef flavour, melt in the mouth texture and can be cooked and eaten from rare to well done and still impress the taste buds. I prefer to eat my meat when it is tinged with pink inside, however pregnancy requires me to eat only meat that is completely cooked through. 

This evening’s Roasted Beef Scotch Fillet with Thyme and Red Wine was cooked to medium-well and still managed to impress. I served this alongside a dish laden with baked garlicky baby potatoes and cauliflower florets doused in verjuice, and sprinkled with grated sharp parmesan cheese. A red oak lettuce salad drizzled ever so lightly with olive oil and vino cotto complemented the main dishes. 

My craving for sharp, sweet marmalade has spilled over from morning toast to baking bliss. Thanks to a Nigella Lawson recipe from her cookbook, How to be a Domestic Goddess, for Store-Cupboard Chocolate Orange Cake, I was able to incorporate a jar of blood orange marmalade into a sticky chocolate cake served warm in wedges with frothy milk. Children always eat their dinner especially quickly when a home cooked sweet treat beckons from the kitchen. This is literally a melt and mix concoction that despite its simplicity, manages to yield the most moist and fragrant chocolate cake I have ever eaten – and I have eaten my way through a fair few. 

You see, I really enjoy chocolate. It is one of those “must pack” items I always include in my handbag when going on a trip, long or short. I even pop a small bar into my bag if driving an hour or more from home because you never know when an extra sugar boost will be needed.

My maternal grandmother, Baba Joka, kept a tall glass jar in the door of her fridge, permanently stocked with squares of Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate. It was routinely opened and offered to my brothers, cousin and I every time we visited. Baba insisted we take several squares for “energy” and was still offering it to me as an adult and insisting that I don’t deprive my own children of this delicious energy source. Yes, I also keep a jar in my fridge door, partly for sentimental reasons as well. 

Verjuice Parmesan Potatoes and Cauliflower Florets to serve 8 people
This dish can be placed in the oven halfway through the roast beef’s cooking time, so that both dishes are then ready at approximately the same moment. 

Ingredients
1 kg baby potatoes washed and left whole
1 head of cauliflower, washed and cut into medium-large florets
1 small head of garlic, cloves separated but the thin papery skin left on
1/4 cup verjuice
2 tablespoons olive oil
30 g unsalted butter
sea salt to taste
50 g fresh parmesan coarsely grated

Preheat oven to 225 degrees fan forced. Put a heavy baking pan (I used a Le Creuset) in the oven with the olive oil and butter to melt. 

Remove the pan which will be hot and add all of the remaining ingredients except for the parmesan cheese. Toss together using a spoon and place back into the oven for about 30 – 40 minutes depending on the size of your baby potatoes. 

Half way through the baking process, turn the potatoes and cauliflower over to develop an even healthy brown colour. 

When ready, grate over the parmesan and serve alongside the roasted beef. 

Roasted Sirloin Beef with Thyme and Red Wine to serve 8 people
If cooking for fewer people simply ask your butcher for a smaller piece of meat to roast and adjust the cooking time. Allow 30 minutes cooking time per 1 kilogram of beef plus an extra 20 minutes at the end. This will result in a roast beef cooked medium. Increase or decrease the cooking time depending on how you prefer to eat your roast beef. 

Always rest your beef for at least 20-30 minutes before carving. This will allow the fibres to relax and evenly distribute the juices through the entire piece. I cover my beef with a double layer of foil to prevent it from cooling down completely during this “rest time”. 

Leftovers can be refrigerated and eaten the next day. They are particularly delicious on toasted grainy bread with tangy mustard, sweet tomatoes and lettuce. A great school sandwich filler.  

Ingredients
1 x 2 kg piece of scotch fillet or sirloin
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 cup red wine
olive oil

Remove your beef from the fridge at least 30 minutes to an hour before roasting. 

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees fan forced. 

Using a heavy based baking pan, over a medium heat warm through a tablespoon of olive oil with the salt, pepper and thyme. 

Add the beef, browning the sides and the ends for about 30 seconds each. Pour in the wine, bring to the boil for a minute, then place into the oven uncovered for 80 minutes. Now let the oven do the work for you. 

When ready, remove the beef to a carving board, cover with foil and allow to rest. Use a sharp knife to slice as preferred and enjoy. 

Store-Cupboard Chocolate Orange Cake to serve 8 people generously
An all-in- one, no icing needed cake, ideal for the beginner baker. 

Ingredients
125 g unsalted butter
100 g good quality dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate)
300 g marmalade
150 g caster sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
150 g self raising flour

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan forced. 

Grease and line a 20 cm Springform cake tin. 

Using a heavy based saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over a low heat, then add the marmalade and sugar. Stir until combined. I used a medium sized metal whisk.

Add the eggs, beating in well after each addition. 

Add the salt and flour, beating in until the mixture is thick and dark without a hint of white flour being visible. 

Using a spatula, scrape the entire contents of the saucepan into your prepared baking tin. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. Do not over bake! This is a common mistake made by beginner bakers. The sugar and chocolate content will hold the heat well and you risk burning the outside of the cake if it is left in the oven for too long. 

Leave in the tin to cool slightly for 10 minutes. Then slice into wedges and serve with either whipped cream, creme fraiche or as is. I sprinkled spots of icing sugar on top of my cake to make it look even more appealing.