Kevin Brown, head chef of The Lord Bute’s two AA rosette winning restaurant, divulges his own take on the traditional roast beef to warm your heart this winter

Our team of gourmet chefs at The Lord Bute are passionate about great British food. Being ideally situated within the original grounds of Highcliffe Castle, we are provided daily with a wealth of inspiration for cooking and serving food which celebrates our national identity.

After all, the grounds were called home by several historic figures who made their mark in Britain, including Lord Bute himself, a former prime minister, as well as the famous Mr Selfridge.

With this inspiration in mind, our chefs have a real flair for reviving quintessentially British dishes with a modern, elegant and luxury twist. And so, whilst I know that the British love of roast beef, enjoyed throughout the year as a favourite choice for Sunday lunch, is nothing new, I am delighted to share with you our own mouth-watering take on the traditional roast beef dinner.

Whether cooking at home or in a restaurant, the key to culinary success is to use the finest ingredients available.

Dorset has a plethora of fantastic suppliers locally, so for this simple recipe, I recommend beef sourced from our own Jurassic Coast.

A treat for the taste buds, I prefer using a fillet steak for this roast as it requires minimal preparation and is both exquisitely tender and flavoursome.

Something which I believe makes this dish very special is its shallots, garlic and mushroom jus, enriched with red wine and chopped fois gras.

A worthwhile extravagance, the addition of fois gras brings a rich, buttery, and delicate flavour to the jus, providing a flawless garnish for bringing out the fantastic flavours of the beef.

Perfect for the cold start to the year, I know that there are few things which will warm the heart better than this roast beef dinner.

If you choose to recreate this wonderful recipe at home, have no fear, it is ideal for both veteran cooking enthusiast and kitchen novices.

A favourite amongst guests at The Lord Bute, it’s perfect not only for a Sunday dinner but also any celebratory get-together or, with Valentines not too far away, even a romantic meal for two.

Roasted fillet of Jurassic Coast Beef with Shallots and a Mushroom and Foie Gras Jus

  • 2 potatoes cut into discs
  • 4 shallots 2 finely chopped, 2 for garnish
  • 1 clove of garlic crushed
  • 200g mushrooms chopped
  • 50g foie gras
  • 200ml red wine
  • 200ml beef stock
  • 2 fillet steaks (200g)
  • 2 slices of smoked streaky bacon
  • Oil
  • Sea salt
  • Cracked pepper
  • Cherry tomatoes for garnish
  • Watercress for garnish

Roast cherry tomatoes with oil and balsamic.

Poach shallots for 2-3 minutes, remove skin and colour in a hot pan with oil for 2-3 minutes.

Cut a disc of potato and cook with butter, thyme and water until soft. Set aside on a tray so as to warm when serving.

For the sauce. Chop shallots, garlic and mushrooms. In a hot pan gently cook until soft, glaze with a glass of red wine and reduce, add beef stock and reduce until a rich consistency, add chopped foie gras and set aside.

Prepare the meat. Wrap the fillet steak in smoked bacon and pin with a cocktail stick, season with salt and pepper.

Heat a heavy pan with a little oil, when hot add steak and cook each side for 2-3 minutes to gain some colour. Place on a baking sheet.

Heat the oven to 200-220 ºC, place the steak into the oven for 4-5 minutes.

Set the warm plate with the fondant potato, cherry tomatoes and glazed shallots, set the fillet on top of the fondant and coat with the warm sauce, garnish with fresh watercress leaves.

For more information about The Lord Bute, visit lordbute.com or contact 01425 278884.