Black pepper beef stir fry with egg fried rice

Recipe by James Martin


Ingredients

For the black pepper beef
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dry sherry
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp cornflour
500g/1lb 2oz beef fillet, finely sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 red peppers, seeds removed, finely sliced 2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
50-75ml/2-3fl oz water

For the egg fried rice

2 tbsp groundnut oil
200g/7oz basmati rice, cooked according to packet instructions, drained and cooled completely
2 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp sesame oil
4 spring onions, finely sliced
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

Serves 4

Method

1. For the black pepper beef, whisk together the light soy sauce, dry sherry, garlic, cracked black pepper and cornflour in a bowl. Add the beef slices and stir well to coat the beef in the marinade. Cover and set aside in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. At the end of the marinating time, remove the beef from the marinade (discard the marinade). Heat a wok until nearly smoking, then add the vegetable oil and beef. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, or until just browned all over. Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.
3. Add the peppers to the wok and stir fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil and water. Cook for one minute, then return the beef to the wok and stir fry for a further minute. Keep warm.
4. For the egg fried rice, heat a clean wok until hot and add the oil. Add the cooked, cooled rice and stir fry for 2-3 minutes to heat through.
5. Lightly mix the beaten eggs and sesame oil together, then pour over the rice. Continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes, breaking up any large lumps of egg and rice with a wooden spoon, until the egg is set. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir in the spring onions and coriander.
6. To serve, spoon the black pepper beef onto serving plates and pile the egg fried rice alongside. 

Cottage Pie / Shepherd's Pie

Cottage Pie / Shepherd's Pie


• 1kg lamb mince / mixture of beef and pork mince

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

• 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped

• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

• 50g pancetta, roughly chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• a small bunch of fresh rosemary, leaves picked

• 1 x 400g can of plum tomatoes, chopped

• 250ml lamb or vegetable stock

• 1kg potatoes

• 200ml milk

• 2 knobs of butter


Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.


1. Heat a large pan and, when it’s nice and hot, add the olive oil and mince and fry until browned all over. Add the onion, celery, carrot, pancetta and garlic to the pan, and throw in a large pinch of rosemary leaves and the tomatoes. Pour in the stock and stir well so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Leave in the same pan or transfer to an ovenproof dish, cover and bake in the oven for an hour.

2. Peel the potatoes, boil them in salted water until cooked through, then drain well. Heat the milk gently then pour over the potatoes. Add a knob of butter and mash well until smooth and creamy.

3. Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan. When it starts to bubble, throw in the rosemary and fry until crisp. Drain, and add the rosemary to the mashed potatoes with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Take the mince out of the oven, spoon over the mash, then turn up the temperature to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and bake for about 20 minutes or until bubbling and crispy and brown on top.