martha’s brisket with parsnips and carrots

I’m back from a wonderful trip to Nova Scotia, Canada where I spent a couple of days at the Devour Food Film Festival. I was up visiting to teach a short photography workshop and meet a lot of wonderful folk from all over the world. Lots of great food and company with people that are passionate about food, and beautiful fall weather. I’m still 4 hours ahead plus the DST is not helping. So while I want to crash and go to bed early, I better share this delicious cold weather brisket recipe with you from one of my favorite people!

I’m a huge fan of Martha Stewart and I’m very excited about her new show on VH1 with Snoop Dogg (which looks like the funnest pajama party!) The first time I saw Martha was on Julia Child’s show, Baking with Julia, where she made one of the prettiest wedding cake decorated with marzipan fruit. Eventually, I started watching all her shows on PBS and I’ve learned quite a bit from her when it comes to food and techniques over the years. 

This particular recipe from her latest cookbook, Martha Stewart’s Vegetables is perfect for the cold days and doesn’t require too much effort. There’s a large brisket cooked in Pinot Noir and sweetened with tender carrots and parsnips. For a chilly day, a bowl of this brisket with a slice of toasted bread or some rice goes a long way! 

I also have one copy of the book to giveaway and all you need to do is leave a comment below with your email address and tell me what your favorite cold weather meal is! The contest is opened to folk from the US only due to shipping reasons. The giveaway is open for a week from November 7th to November 14th, 2016 and I will choose a winner at random. Good luck and happy cooking!!!

Here are some of my kitchen tips that you might find useful when preparing this brisket;

• I used a Pinot Noir but any red wine that is dry and tastes good will work. 
• You can also add a tablespoon of hot sauce is you want this a little hot or even add a teaspoon or two of red chili flakes.
• You can drain the excess fat from the liquid after cooking by skimming it from the top with a spoon. 

Martha’s brisket with parsnips and carrots (Martha Stewart’s Vegetables, Clarkson Potter, 2016)

yields: 8 servings

ingredients

1 first-cut of beef brisket (5lbs)

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced, plus 1 head , halved horizontally

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 cups dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir

4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

1 pound parsnips, peeled and halved

8 ounces carrots, peeled, ends trimmed and cut in half (or you can use 20 small carrots)

10 ounces red pearl onions, peeled (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Season both sides of the brisket with salt and pepper. Heat a large  Dutch Oven or a roasting pan over medium high. Add 3 tablespoons oil to pan, swirl to coat, and heat until hot but not smoking. Add brisket; sear until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. 

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and minced garlic to pan; cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 4 minutes. (Add more oil to pan if needed.) Stir in tomato paste, and cook, stirring 1 minutes. Stir in wine, and cook, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of pan, until almost evaporated. 

3. Add chicken broth and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Add brisket, then cover and roast 2 hours. Flip meat over. Add halved head of garlic. Cover and roast for 30 minutes more. 

4. Arrange parsnips, carrots and pearl onions around brisket; cover and roast until beef and vegetables are tender about 1 hour. Transfer vegetables and garlic to a platter and meat to a cutting board, reserving pan sauce. Tent meat with foil and let rest. 

5. Let sauce stand in pan for 15 minutes, then skim fat from top. Cook over medium heat until sauce is reduced by slightly more than half, about 20 minutes.  (You should have about 2 cups). Remove bay leaves and stir in vinegar. 

6. Thinly slice brisket against the grain. Arrange slices on a platter with the vegetables. Season with pepper, and drizzle with some sauce. Serve immediately with remaining sauce and garnish with parsley if desired.