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Recipe Detail Page
Black-Tie Brisket
Spring 2021
The richness of long-cooked onions and sherry, along with the horseradish bite of the cheesy potato side dish (recipe follows), make this meal a grown-up and special-occasion-worthy take on the flavours of French onion soup. The brisket can be cooked the day before and rewarmed for easy and stress-free dinner prep.
Serves 6 to 8
3 to 4-lb (1.36 to 1.81-kg) beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat and sinew
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil or other neutral oil
4 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp (15 mL) tomato paste
1 cup (250 mL) red wine
1 cup (250 mL) oloroso sherry
1 cup (250 mL) low-sodium beef broth
1 large carrot, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 celery stalks
8 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
2. Season brisket liberally with salt and pepper.
3. In a heavy-bottomed pot or roasting pan large enough to hold the brisket and vegetables, heat a film of oil until almost smoking. Reduce heat to medium, carefully place the brisket into the pot, and sear on all sides until well browned. Remove brisket and set aside.
4. Add onions to the pot and sauté over medium heat, stirring and scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste to coat evenly, and cook for 2 minutes more.
5. Increase heat to high while continuing to stir. When onions begin to stick, stir in red wine and sherry to deglaze. Add beef broth and stir to combine.
6. Nestle in carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf, and return brisket to pot. Spoon some of the juices over brisket, cover pot loosely with foil, and cook in the oven for 2 hours.
7. Remove pot from oven and discard carrot, celery, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Carefully remove brisket to a cutting board and let rest until cool enough to slice about 10 minutes.
8. Using a sharp carving knife, slice brisket against the grain into 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick slices, then layer back in the pot with the onions. This will speed up the cooking process and allow the beef to soak up the rich onion juices.
9. Return to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 2 hours longer, spooning juices over the meat every 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 30 minutes.
10. Fan brisket slices on a serving dish. Keep warm.
11. Place pot with onions over medium heat and sprinkle flour over top. Simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
12. Pour onions over sliced brisket and serve with Horseradish & Gruyère Roasted Fingerlings.
Serves 6 to 8
Horseradish & Gruyère Roasted Fingerlings
These potatoes can be cooked a few hours ahead of time, following steps 1 to 3, loosely covered at room temperature, and then finished just before serving from step 4. If you can’t find Gruyère, the potatoes are equally delicious with aged cheddar or Grana Padano.
2 lbs (905 g) fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
Kosher salt
3 tbsp (45 mL) unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, flattened with a knife
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
6 oz (170 g) Gruyère cheese, grated
1/4 cup (60 mL) finely grated fresh horseradish
1. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
2. Place potatoes in a heavy-bottomed pot and cover with cold water. Season generously with salt (the liquid should be salty like seawater). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Drain in a colander, then place potatoes on a paper towel-lined tray to dry until ready to finish.
4. To serve, heat an ovenproof frying pan large enough to hold potatoes to medium-high. Melt butter until it begins to foam, then add garlic and rosemary. Add potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
5. Place pan in oven and roast potatoes for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, discard garlic and rosemary, and toss parsley into potatoes. Sprinkle Gruyère over top, and return to the oven for 5 minutes more to melt and brown the cheese. Transfer potatoes to a warmed serving dish and top with horseradish.
Serves 6 to 8
