Delaney's roast beef brisket with roast potatoes, fresh horseradish cream and fennel salad

A roast meal is one of the most comforting things you can cook. Having friends over for a decent piece of meat, seasonal sides and a few wines is a good way to spend a Sunday night, making your weekend feel that little bit longer before the working week begins again.

Brisket is a cheaper cut, and benefits from a long slow afternoon in the oven (or the slow cooker).

Wine match: Selaks Reserve Cabernet Merlot

Beef brisket

1 kg	Beef, use beef brisket, or up to 1.5kg (Main)
1	Olive oil, to sear beef
2 Tbsp	Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp	Fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch	Fresh sage, roughly chopped
2	Red onions
1 cup	Beef stock

Potatoes with horseradish cream

2 dashes	Olive oil, large
4	Agria potatoes, medium
½ cup	Sour cream
1 piece	Horseradish, small, finely grated, approximately 2 Tbsp when grated

Fennel salad

1	Fennel bulb, large
1	Red onion
½	Lemons, freshly zested in long strips
1 sprinkle	Chilli flakes, use a generous sprinkle
1 bunch	Fresh mint, roughly chopped
1 bunch	Fresh parsley, stalks removed
2 Tbsp	Lemon juice
1 Tbsp	Olive oil

Directions

Beef brisket

1. Preheat oven to 170C. Score the beef with a small sharp knife, and season well with salt and pepper. Sear the beef in olive oil on all sides in a hot frying pan until browned. Carefully rub in the mustard, garlic, and sage into the beef.
2. Slice the onions and place in a roasting dish. Place the beef on top. add the stock to the bottom of the pan. Cover well with tinfoil. Roast for 3-3½ hours, checking on it part way through, and turning it over if necessary.
3. Remove from oven when done and rest 10 minutes before serving. When it's ready to serve, use two forks to shred the beef in the pan. Serve with the potatoes and salad.

Potatoes with horseradish cream

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Put olive oil into a roasting dish and heat in the oven.
2. Wash and peel the potatoes and chop into chunks, 2-3cm squared. Place in a large pot with cold water, and heat until nearly boiling. Using the pot lid, drain the water from the potatoes. Keep them in the pot with the lid on, and shake them around to dry them out.
3. Carefully remove the oven tray of oil from the oven, and add the potatoes. Ensure the oil coats them. Sprinkle over a little salt, and return them to the oven. Roast for about 30 minutes until crisp (they should be soft in the middle).
4. For the horseradish cream, combine the sour cream, horseradish, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix together well, and adjust according to taste.

Fennel salad

1. With a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the white part of the fennel and the onion.
2. Place in a mixing bowl, along with some fennel fronds.
3. Add all other ingredients, and gently mix until combined.