Roast Topside with Stilton and Hazelnut Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 x 1.25kg lean topside or sirloin joint
- 25-50g butter, softened
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 6 tablespoons cranberry sauce
- 6 tablespoons Port
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 300ml good, hot beef stock
For the Stilton and Hazelnut Stuffing
- 75g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
- 25g hazelnuts or walnuts, roughly chopped
- 25g mushrooms, finely chopped
- 25-50g Stilton cheese, crumbled
- 1 medium egg, beaten
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180-190°C, 160-170°C Fan, Gas Mark 4-5.
- Place the topside joint on a chopping board and season.
In a small bowl mix together the butter and parsley. Spread generously over the surface of the joint.
- Transfer to a metal rack, place in a roasting tin and cook for the calculated preferred cooking time.
To prepare the stuffing; mix together the breadcrumbs, chives, hazelnuts, mushrooms, cheese and egg. Shape the mixture into 10-12 balls, place on a non-stick baking sheet and cook during the last 15 minutes of the roasting time.
Mix together the cranberry sauce and the port. 20-30 minutes before the end of cooking time brush over the joint then return to the oven to continue cooking.
Remove the joint from the oven, place onto a large platter, wrap loosely in foil and set aside to rest. Reserve the meat juices.
To make the gravy: Spoon off any excess fat from the roasting tin and discard. Place the roasting tin over a medium heat and sprinkle over the flour. Stir well with a small whisk or spoon, add a little stock and stir again, scraping the base of the pan to release any rich, beefy sediment.
- Add the remaining stock, and any meat juices from the platter, adjust the seasoning, if required, and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until reduced to a well-flavoured gravy.
- Serve the beef with roast potatoes, stuffing, gravy and seasonal vegetables.
