Wagyu beef, onions, ox tongue, black mustard By Adam Handling @ The Frog, London.
By Adam Handling @ The Frog, Chelsea
Adam Handlin’s culinary journey started at Gleneagles where he was the first ever trainee chef, before he went on to become Fairmont’s youngest ever Head Chef, culminating in winning Scottish Young Chef of The Year 2011. At the 2013 Acorn Awards, he was the youngest person to be tipped by the Caterer Magazine as one of the ‘30 under 30 to watch.” Adam is now Chef owner of Frog by Adam Handling - Covent Garden, The Frog Hoxton, Eve Bar - Covent Garden, Iron Stag Bar - Hoxton, Bean & Wheat and Black & White.
Method
Step 1 - For the wagyu
Marinade the bavette in oyster sauce for 24 hours. Cook under the salamander for 5 minutes, until it starts to caramelise, then turn the meat over. This should take another 3 minutes. Leave to rest before carving.
Step 2 - For the ox tongue
Put all of the ingredients, except the ox tongue, into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat to cool and, once cooled, pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove the aromatics. Submerge the tongue in the brine and refrigerate for 3 days. Remove the tongue from the brine and place into a large vacuum pac bag and fully seal. Cook in a water bath for 48 hours at 63°C. Remove from the bath and allow to cool slightly. Once you can handle the tongue, remove it from the bag and carefully peel the skin while it’s still warm. Place onto a tray, lined with baking paper, and press another tray on top with a weight to press the tongue in the fridge overnight. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 3 - For the ox cheek
Seal the cheeks then sweat down the vegetables. Add the cheeks to a saucepan and cover with beef stock. Cook for 3-4 hours until tender.
Step 4 - For the caramelised onion puree
Thinly slice the onions and garlic. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the sliced onions, garlic and herbs. Cook out until soft. Remove the cover and leave to reduce. Once reduced, add the cream and chicken stock. Reduce by ½. Add parmesan and season. Take off the heat. Remove all the herbs and blend. Once blended, pass through a fine sieve.
Step 5 - For the Roscoff onions
Slice the onions in half. Slowly cook in a brown butter. Season with thyme leaves and remove from the fat. 2 onion halves per portion.
Step 6 - For the beer onions
Cut the onions into quarters. Break each quarter down into petals by separating the individual layers. Combine the beer, vinegar, sugar, honey, juniper and thyme in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the onions and remove from the heat.
Cover tightly with cling film, as this will allow the onions to steam and soften slightly in the liquid. Leave the onions to cool in the liquid for 24 hours. When pickled, finely dice the onions and cook out with a small amount of vinegar, until a jam-like consistency is achieved.
Step 7 - For the pomme soufflé
Preheat a deep fat fryer to 190°C. Mix the egg whites and cornflour together to make a paste. Peel and slice the potatoes on a mandoline or meat slicer, on a ¾ setting. Lay the slices between cloths to dry them out. Once dry, brush each slice with the paste and lay one slice of potato on top of another to create a double thickness, with the paste sandwiched between the two layers. Cut each double layer with a 5cm ring cutter to create 20 circles in total. Place the discs onto parchment paper and dry under a heat lamp or in a very low oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges become dry. Fry the discs in the oil for roughly 20 seconds, then flip over and cook for another 20 seconds until golden brown and puffed up. Set aside on kitchen paper and season with fine salt.
Step 8 - For the beef sauce
Caramelise the vegetables and garlic. Add both bottles of red wine, and reduce until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. Add the 10 litres of chicken stock, 10kg of roasted beef bones (having set aside for refresh). Bring to a boil, skim, them simmer. Add 5 tomatoes and 5 flat cap mushrooms, and simmer for 2 hours, skimming regularly. Pass the stock through a fine chinois and into a clean pan. Add the veal reduction and reduce on a rolling boil until sauce consistency is reached. Refresh with beef bones and let it sit for 30 minutes. Pass through a fine chinois into a suitable container.
Step 9 - For the salad
Brush the mooli with the truffle honey and mustard, fill with rocket leaves and watercress. roll tightly. slice to order.
© Adam Handling 2021
For more information on Adam Handling and Restaurants www.adamhandling.co.uk
Ingredients:
FOR THE WAGYU
A5 sirloin
50g oyster sauce
FOR THE OX TONGUE
5l water
100g table salt
20g black peppercorns
10g juniper berries
10g thyme sprigs
1 ox tongue
FOR THE OX CHEEK
2 ox cheeks
325ml red wine
1 bay leaf
5 peppercorns
1 garlic clove
1 large onion
2 carrots
300ml beef stock
FOR THE CARAMELISED ONION PUREE
6 white onions
5 cloves of garlic
250g butter
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme
200g parmesan
100ml double cream
100ml chicken stock
FOR THE ROSCOFF ONIONS
5 Roscoff onions, peeled
FOR THE BEER ONIONS
4 large onions, peeled
1lt bitter beer
500ml white wine vinegar
200g Demerara sugar
4 tbsp honey
8 fresh thyme sprigs
FOR THE POMME SOUFFLÉ (SMALL IN SIZE)
45ml egg whites
55g cornflour
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
FOR THE BEEF SAUCE
2 large onions
2 large carrots
1 pack of celery
1 clove of garlic
2 bottles of red wine
10kg of 1 inch beef bones – set aside 500g for refresh
10 litres chicken stock
500g veal reduction
5 tomatoes
5 flat cap mushrooms
FOR THE SALAD
10cm by 10cm mooli sheets
Truffle honey
Herbs
Wild rocket
Wild mustard
Onion flowers
