(Serves 10)
ingredients
1½kg fillet of Red Poll beef
200g caster sugar
200g salt
1tsp coriander seeds
4tbs yellow mustard seeds
10 black peppercorns
1tbs sunflower oil
200g basmati rice
For the watercress emulsion
100g watercress
6 mint leaves
10g Dijon mustard
10g sherry vinegar
100ml sunflower oil
Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
To serve
1 duck egg per portion
Handful of cobnuts, to sprinkle
Fresh watercress
Method
Trim the beef and cut it into an even-shaped barrel. Using a pestle and mortar, lightly crush 1tbs of the mustard seeds and the coriander seeds. Mix with the sugar and salt. Cover the beef completely with this curing mixture, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Wash the beef under cold running water and pat it dry using kitchen paper. Rub the beef with the sunflower oil and place it on a cooling rack.
In a deep metal tray or large frying pan, soak the rice in 100ml of cold water, and add the remaining mustard seeds and peppercorns. Place the pan over a gas flame until the rice and mustard starts to smoke, then place the cooling rack containing the beef over the smoking rice. Remove from the heat, place a lid on top or cover with tin foil. Leave for approximately 30 minutes.
Wrap the smoked beef in cling film in the shape of a barrel. Refrigerate until cold and transfer the beef to the freezer for at least 4 hours to set. Use a slicing machine to cut the beef into 2-3mm thick slices. Place 5 slices on a chilled plate, and keep refrigerated until needed.
To make the watercress emulsion, blend the watercress, mint, mustard and vinegar, and slowly add the oil to form an emulsion. Season to taste. Refrigerate until needed
To serve, remove the plate from the fridge and allow it to heat up to room temperature. Rub the surface of the meat with olive oil and place a soft-boiled duck egg, cut in half, on top. Drizzle over the watercress emulsion. Garnish with toasted and crushed cobnuts and dressed watercress leaves.