I got married to the widow next door
She’s been married seven times before

And every one was an Henry
She wouldn’t have a Willy or a Sam
I’m her VIII old man, I’m Henry
Henry, the VIII, I am

It ain’t nothing but I a family thang…

Boiled Beef and Carrots

The Sous Vide (water bath) that was kindly gifted to Rocket has been a bit of a voyage of disovery. Learning what turns out well, and what really doesn’t work. Cooking things for too long or too short a time – playing with textures. It’s the sort of experimentation that would drive a normal person insane, but not Rocket.

Anyway, one of the things we have found that works really well is beef and in particular a cheaper cut that is packed with flavour can be transformed texurally. Meaning that a piece of rump that might be quite chewy in texture ordinarily, changes to the texture of a piece of fillet. The other thing is that, on this occasion, the beef has the appearance of being really rare, which we like but I understand others may not – however it wasn’t bloody, which is curious but lovely.It’s something to do with science, alchemy and the times I didn’t listen in school.

This was in effect a typical British Sunday Roast beef lunch so I shall not go into recipes – because there isn’t really one. Suffice to say that the slow cooked beef which was given a flash in the pan to brown it at the end of cooking and it was fantastic. I’m not a great meat eater, so this is high praise I assure you!

The gravy was 1/2 a bottle of red and 1/2 a bottle of port with the equivilant amount of fresh beef stock – then reduced slowly and finished with butter for a really concentrated thick and shiny sauce. A treat – not an everyday occurance. I take some comfort from the fact that whilst my other half makes the best gravy and the cauliflower cheese, with rocket run through it was a delight, he can’t make Yorkshire puds, but I can!!!! I’m trying not to sound smug, but there is quite a competitive  atmosphere here at times…We served it all alongside the cauliflower cheese and layered potatoes (not carrots – again, that’s just a family thang).

I should sum up by saying that while this post makes perfect sense to me, I’m sure it may be baffling to anyone outside my family so let me just say this: Cheers! Uncle Henry the Eighth and all the others – you are missed X