The accompanying potatoes produce a creamy, almost “wet” mash of a very soft and velvety texture. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Method
Warm a thin film of oil in a heavy roasting tin over a moderate heat, then season the cheeks with salt and pepper and brown them lightly in the oil. Remove and set aside.
Cut the carrots into thick slices, peel and roughly chop the onions, cut the celery into short lengths and peel and slice the garlic. Add the carrots, onions, celery, orange peel and garlic to the pan in which you browned the cheeks, letting them soften and colour very lightly. Set the oven at 160C/gas mark 3.
Return the cheeks to the pan, tucking them among the vegetables, scatter over the flour, season with salt and black pepper, cook for a minute or two then add the thyme, the bay leaves and the wine. Bring to the boil, cover loosely with foil or baking parchment, then bake for 2½ to 3 hours until tender. Check occasionally to make sure the liquid isn’t reducing too far. After an hour or so, it might be prudent to taste and add up to two tbsp of sugar, or some apple or other fruit jelly to the gravy.
Taste and correct the seasoning and serve with the potatoes.
To make the mash, add 1kg of floury potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-sized chunks to boiling, salted water. Cook until they are soft enough to crush. Then drain and mash with 80-100g butter, fluffing the potatoes using a wooden spoon or the flat paddle attachment of a food mixer. Finally, pour in two or three tablespoons of double cream and whip until thoroughly smooth.