Method

Fillet

Remove all sinew from the fillet. Cut in half across the width, and then again along the length. Tightly roll each piece of fillet in plastic wrap. Place in a vacuum bag with the butter, garlic, salt to taste and the rosemary, and cook in a water bath for 40 minutes at 55 °C. Remove and place in an ice bath. Remove the bag and the plastic wrap and dry the fillet. Season well.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

Heat a pan until smoking and brown the fillet in oil and butter. Dip into the egg white and roll in the ground coriander seeds. Roast in the preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Shin

Toast the curry powder, ginger, nutmeg, 1 Tbsp (15 ml) turmeric and the cinnamon in a hot, dry pan.  Place in a large container with the beef shin, wine, carrot, onion and celery. Combine all of the whole spices and place them in a muslin cloth. Place the muslin bag in the marinade. Marinate the shin overnight.

Remove the shin and reserve the marinade. Brown the shin in a hot pan.

Meanwhile, reduce the white wine and the remaining marinade ingredients in a large saucepan. Once the wine has been reduced to a syrup, add the browned meat and add the stock. Cook on a low heat for 4 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone. Place in the refrigerator and leave overnight.

Reheat the meat in the pot. Pull the meat apart, breaking it down along the filament and remove the bones and any large tendons. Keep to one side.

Soak the bread in the milk. Squeeze the milk from the bread (reserve the milk) and add the bread to the meat, along with the apricots, sultanas, lemon juice and zest. Mix well. Season and press into a large tray.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

To make a custard, combine the eggs, yoghurt, remaining 1 Tbsp (15 ml) turmeric and the milk. Pour the custard mixture over the meat. Place in the oven and bake until the custard is set, approximately 20-30 minutes. Chill and portion.

Apricot purée

Place the apricots and water in a large pot and cook on a high heat until all the water has evaporated. Blend and pass through a sieve.

Onions

Peel and clean the onions. Place in a large pot with the butter, cover and cook on a low heat until the onions are tender. Remove from butter and chill. Cut in half and caramelise in a hot pan.

Fondants

Peel and cut the potatoes into desired shapes and cut the butter into thin slices. Layer the butter in the bottom of a heavy-based pot. Place the potatoes, rosemary and garlic on top of the butter. Pour the stock over the potatoes and season well. Place on a medium–high heat and cook until the potatoes are golden brown and tender.

Cumin jus

Reduce the port and cumin seeds in a pan until syrupy . Add reserved braising liquor from the shin and reduce until thick.