Roast Beef

Fire up the wood burning oven and get it up to around 425°F/210°C  Picture  . Season the beef with salt and pepper, put in a roasting, cover with foil and put in the oven. Timing is difficult in an oven like this, but wil probably be around 45 to 60 minutes taking the foil off half way, but you will need to check with a carving fork. In a conventional oven, do not cover with foil and cook for 15 minutes per lb/500gms plus 15 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the vegetables - peel and cut the celeriac into finger sized pieces and keep them in a water acidulated with a squeeze of lemon. Scrape the carrots and cut lengthwise into halves or quarters depending on size and keep in water. Prepare and simmer the fennel as described in  Recipe  . Top and tail the green beans and put into salted water in a saucepan.

Dry the celeriac with some kitchen paper, season with salt and pepper, put in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle over some olive oil. Add to the oven about 30 minutes to go for the beef, and cook until just tender turning a couple of times. Take out when ready and keep warm  Picture  .

As for the celeriac dry the carrots with some kitchen paper, season with salt and pepper, put in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle over some olive oil. Peel and chop three or four garlic cloves, chop finely and sprinkle over the carrots. Add to the oven ten minutes or so after the celeriac, cook until still quite al dente, and then take out and keep warm  Picture  .

Assemble the fennel, garlic and parmesan as described in the recipe. Pop into the oven after the celeriac and carrots and cook for five minutes or so  Picture  . Meanwhile quickly cook the beans and drain, and also prepare the bearnaise sauce up until the point of starting the final preparation adding the butter over the bain maree.

Test the beef is cooked as you like it, preferably fairly rare, take out the oven, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes or so. Meanwhile finish off the bearnaise sauce, and assemble the vegetables  Picture  .

When ready cut the beef into thickish slices, put on serving plates with a garnish of watercress, and pour over a little sauce. Serve immediately along with the vegetables  Zoom  .