The Lighthouse Restaurant in Boylestone shares a glazed ox cheek recipe served with shallot purée, confit celeriac and parsnip crisps

Ingredients

4 ox cheeks (fat trimmed off)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks

4 celery sticks

2 large onions

2 carrots

4 cloves of garlic

3 litres beef stock

8 large shallots

1 celeriac

125g unsalted butter

1 parsnip, peeled

Season the ox cheek with salt and pepper and heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the ox cheek to the pan and caramelise on both sides.Remove from the pan and set aside. Chop the carrots, celery, leeks, onion and garlic and add to the same pan that the ox was in, removing any caramelised meat. Sweat the vegetables until soft.

Place the ox back in the pan. Add the beef stock so that the meat is submerged. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Place a lid on the pan and reduce the heat so that you have a moderate simmer. Leave on heat for 2.5-3 hours, until the ox is completely softened.

To prepare the shallot purée, peel shallots and remove roots. Create an airtight parcel from strong kitchen foil and place the shallots inside with a drop of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Wrap up tightly, making sure there are no gaps. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180°C and bake for approx 45 minutes until soft. Blitz the shallots in a blender until smooth. When you are ready to serve, reheat in a pan with a knob of butter.

For the celeriac fondant, peel celeriac and cut into bite-sized pieces (around 4 pieces per person). Heat butter in a small saucepan on the lowest heat possible. Place celeriac cubes into butter and cook on a low heat until softened, season to taste.

Shave the parsnip and place peelings into iced water.

Once the ox is ready, transfer to a deep wide saucepan. Drain the stock and add to the pan. Heat on full power and it will begin to reduce, and thicken. Baste the ox cheek with the stock as it reduces to give it a sticky sheen. Once you’ve achieved a sauce consistency remove from the heat.

To serve, plate a couple of dessert spoons of the shallot purée into a bowl, with four pieces of celeriac around the outside. Plate the ox cheek on top of the purée and spoon sauce on top and around. Drop the parsnip peelings into a deep fryer at 180°C, making sure you drain the water first. Remove after approximately 30 seconds (when crisped up) and dry. Use to garnish the ox cheek.

The Lighthouse Restaurant

Since opening in December 2010, The Lighthouse Restaurant in Boylestone, near Ashbourne, has built up a sterling reputation as one of the finest places to dine in the county. Led by head chef Jon Hardy, the family run business is renowned for its tasty menu of ‘British cuisine with a distinct French accent’.

The Lighthouse Restaurant, New Road, Boylestone, Ashbourne. Tel: 01335 330658. Open Thurs-Sat from 7pm and Sunday Lunch from midday. For shallot recipes visit www.ukshallots.co.uk