Name: Beef brisket with Sherry-glazed mushrooms
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 505 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 2 kg piece beef brisket; 250 ml dry red wine; 2 heads of garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled; 1 fresh bay leaf; Sherry-glazed mushrooms; 70 gm butter; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 1 tsp thyme; 300 gm mixed mushrooms (such as chestnut, king brown and Swiss brown), larger ones thickly sliced; 60 ml (¼ cup) sweet Sherry

Beef brisket with Sherry-glazed mushrooms

The ideal cut of meat for a big party, brisket is best cooked long and slow, meaning more time to attend to all your other hosting duties.

Serves 6 - 8

Prep

25M

Cook

Total

8H 25M

Brisket is best cooked long and slow, so this is ideal for do-ahead entertaining – put it in the oven in the morning and forget about it until your guests arrive. A parsnip or potato purée and a crisp leaf salad would be the ideal accompaniments here.

Ingredients

2 kg piece beef brisket

250 ml dry red wine

2 heads of garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled

1 fresh bay leaf

Sherry-glazed mushrooms

70 gm butter

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp thyme

300 gm mixed mushrooms (such as chestnut, king brown and Swiss brown), larger ones thickly sliced

60 ml (¼ cup) sweet Sherry

Method

1.Preheat oven to 100C. Place brisket in a roasting pan, pour red wine over, then scatter garlic around the pan and add bay leaf. Pour 125ml water into pan, season brisket to taste and roast, adding a little more water to the pan as necessary, until brisket is very tender (8 hours). Cover with foil and set aside to rest (15-20 minutes).

2.Meanwhile, for Sherry-glazed mushrooms, heat butter in a large frying pan over high heat until foaming (1-1½ minutes). Add garlic, thyme and mushrooms, and stir until just tender and golden (2-4 minutes). Add Sherry and cook until reduced to a glaze (2-4 minutes). Season to taste.

3.Cut brisket into thick slices, top with mushrooms, drizzle with pan juices and serve with roasted garlic cloves.