The Tense Knot

Ingredients

• 800 g beef stew meat
• 2 aubergines
• 4 large carrots
• 2 red onions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 200 ml red wine
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp paprika powder
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Method

1. Cut the stew meat into large pieces and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a large stew pot, brown the meat on all sides.
3. Slice onions into half rings, finely chop garlic. Add to the meat and fry for 3 minutes.
4. Add tomato paste, fry for 1 minute. Deglaze with red wine and vinegar.
5. Add mustard, paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne, bay leaves, and chopped tomatoes. Stir and bring to a boil.
6. Let simmer on low heat for 2.5 hours until the meat is tender. Add water if needed.
7. Cut aubergines into long strips about 1 cm thick. Slice carrots into long ribbons with a peeler.
8. Brush aubergine and carrot with olive oil, grill in a grill pan until soft and charred.
9. Pull the stew meat into rough shreds.
10. On each plate, make a knot from aubergine and carrot ribbons. Place the stew in the center to form the core of the knot.
11. Drape extra ribbons over the meat for the 'rope' effect.

Serving notes

• Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
• Sprinkle extra smoked paprika over the knot just before serving for extra tension.
• Present the plate so the knot is immediately visible.