• 2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 really big carrot, halved lengthways then very chunkily sliced
• 5 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs thyme
  
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp butter
  
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 beef stock cube, crumbled
• 1kg stewing beef

Method

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the kettle on. Put the celery, onion, carrots, bay and 1 thyme sprig in a casserole with 1 tbsp oil and the butter. Soften for 10 mins, then stir in the flour until it doesn’t look dusty anymore, followed by the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock cubes.
2. Gradually stir in 600ml hot water, then tip in the beef and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and put in the oven for 2hrs 30 mins, then uncover and cook for 30mins – 1hr more until the meat is really tender and the sauce is thickened.

• Rib eye steak 450g
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic clove, left in their skins
• handful thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf

For the basil hollandaise

• 100ml white wine vinegar
• small bunch basil stalks roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• few peppercorns
• 2 egg yolk
• 250g unsalted butter, melted and skimmed to give about 200ml
• squeeze lemon juice

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the steak on a plate and rub with 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and plenty of black pepper and flaky sea salt. Leave to marinate at room temperature for about 10 mins. Heat a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan until searingly hot.
2. Add the meat to the pan, with oil from the plate, the garlic cloves, thyme and bay leaf. Sear the steak for 3 mins on the first side until well browned, basting with the oil and herbs as it cooks. Carefully tip off the oil, add another 2 tbsp, then sear the second side of the steak in the same way. Quickly brown around the edges, then slide the pan into the oven and roast for 15 mins, turning over halfway through.
3. Take the steak from the pan and sit it on a rack over a roasting tin. Tip the oil, herbs and garlic from the pan over the steak, then leave to rest for 15-20 mins. Leave the steak uncovered – covering with foil will make the steak steam and lose its crisp crust.
4. Meanwhile, start the hollandaise. Put a medium pan of water on to boil. Put the vinegar, basil stalks, bay leaf and spices into a small pan. Boil down to about 3 tbsp, then strain. Put the egg yolks into a large, deep bowl, add 1 tbsp cold water and 1 tbsp of the vinegar reduction, then whisk briefly until light and frothy.
5. Put the bowl over, but not touching, the simmering water, then whisk to a light, airy foam. Now gradually add the butter, little by little, whisking all the time to make a silky yellow sauce. Prevent the sauce overheating by lifting the bowl on and off the pan, adding a splash more water if it starts to get too thick. The sauce can be kept warm for up to 30 mins by sitting the bowl in a bath of just-warm water. If it gets too hot, the sauce will split. Just before serving, finely chop the basil and stir into the sauce with the lemon juice and seasoning to taste.