Beautiful Affair. Mike Hanrahan

tsp apple cider vinegar

      1 glug or about 1 tbsp red wine

      1 bay leaf

      2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

      100ml good beef stock

      250ml good dark ale

      1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley/thyme and/or marjoram)

      Lots of Dijon mustard

      1 French loaf, cut into thickish slices

      Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

      1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3.

      2 Heat a deep pan, and fry the onions in a little oil until coloured. Transfer to a casserole dish.

      3 Season the beef and oxtail, then fry in batches, transferring them to the casserole dish as you go.

      4 Add a knob of butter to the pan, fry the carrots and celery, then transfer to the casserole dish.

      5 Add the sugar, vinegar, red wine, bay leaf and chopped garlic. Cook for a minute to reduce the vinegar and wine, and to dissolve the sugar.

      6 Add the beef stock, ale and herbs. Continue to cook rapidly for another 5 minutes.

      7 Transfer everything from the pan into the casserole dish and mix well.

      8 Spread the mustard liberally onto the bread slices and place them on top of the stew, mustard side up. The bread softens and soaks in all of the flavours and the mustard creates an extra flavour layer sensation.

      9 Cook in the oven for about 3 hours. You could serve this with herbed boiled potatoes; some roasted carrots would be nice, kale colcannon and, dare I say, the remainder of the bread.