- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 ox cheeks, trimmed
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 4 sticks celery, diced
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 750ml bottle red wine
- 2 garlic bulbs, halved
- 2 bay leaves
- small bunch fresh thyme
- 2 star anise
- 3–4 cloves
- 500ml/18fl oz dark chicken or veal stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch watercress
- 2 tbsp light olive oil, plus more if needed
- 4 asparagus spears, stalks roughly chopped, tips still intact
- 10g/⅓oz butter
- 1 braised ox tongue, diced
- splash Madeira
- mashed potato, made very soft with lots of butter and double cream.
- micro watercress, to garnish
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Brown the ox cheek on all sides, remove and set aside.
- Throw in the vegetables with the garlic, herbs and spices and fry for 10 minutes, until golden-brown. Stir in the tomato purée and add the wine. Simmer until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half.
- Return the cheek to the pan, add the stock, bring to a simmer, cover and braise for 2–3 hours or until the cheek is tender.
- Remove the cheek and keep warm. Strain the sauce into a clean pan and reduce to a glossy, coating consistency. Season to taste.
- To make the watercress oil, blanch the watercress for a couple of minutes and refresh under cold water. Remove the stalks and put into a blender with the olive oil and salt. Blitz well and pass through a sieve.
- To make the tongue and asparagus, blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes and refresh under cold water. Heat the butter in a pan, add the asparagus and braised tongue and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Add the Madeira to glaze.
- To serve, divide the mashed potato between two shallow bowls and top with the cooked cheeks. Spoon over the sauce, garnish with the tongue and asparagus, drizzle with the watercress oil and garnish with the micro watercress.