MAINS

YOUR ANNUAL GLAZED HAM HAS ARRIVED TO THE PARTY, WITH A GLITTERING MEAD PRALINE CRUST. RSVP YES TO A SLICE OR TWO OF THIS SWEET-AND-SALTY CHRISTMAS FAVOURITE

BEEF RIB ROAST, MUSHROOMS, RED ONION & HORSERADISH JAM

SERVES 8-10

You will need kitchen string for this recipe.

200g each Swiss brown and button mushrooms, chopped
125g shiitake mushrooms, chopped
80g unsalted butter
½ bunch tarragon, finely chopped
2 cups (500ml) red wine
1 bunch cavolo nero, stalks removed and discarded, leaves shredded
5kg (6-cutlet) French-trimmed beef rib roast
Wholegrain mustard, to serve

RED ONION & HORSERADISH JAM

80g unsalted butter
3 red onions, thinly sliced
½ cup (110g) brown sugar
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
3cm piece fresh horseradish, grated

Place mushrooms in a food processor and whiz until finely chopped. Place butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add mushroom and cook, stirring regularly, for 5-6 minutes until softened and reduced. Stir in tarragon and wine and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes until wine is completely reduced.

Stir through shredded cavolo nero and cook, stirring regularly, for 5-6 minutes until cavolo nero has wilted. Season to taste, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, for the red onion and horseradish jam, place the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until onion begins to soften. Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally for 20-25 minutes until a thick jam consistency. Remove from the heat, season to taste, stir through horseradish and set aside to cool completely. Once cooled, add jam to mushroom mixture and stir well to combine.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Cut 10 pieces of kitchen string long enough to wrap around the beef.

To prepare the beef rib roast, place beef on a chopping board, rib-side down. Using a sharp knife, cut the meat from the bottom, slicing lengthwise across the beef, leaving the rib side intact so that it butterflies open like a book. Spread stuffing evenly in the middle of the beef, then close and secure, tying kitchen string in between and on either side of each rib. Place beef rib on a wire rack on the middle shelf and roast for 1 hour 15