Braised buffalo cheeks with potato gratin and vegetables

 

Delicious buffalo cheeks with fresh potato gratin and crunchy vegetables. A very special dish combined with classics.. 

Ingredients for 4 persons:

Cheeks:

• 1kg Buffalo cheeks, ready to cook
• 300g mixed root vegetables (carrots, celery, onion, leek)
  washed and roughly chopped
• 1 The Tomatenmark
• 200ml red wine, dry
• 200ml port, red
• 1l Rinder
• Spices: salt, black pepper, juniper, laurel
• 50ml rapeseed oil

Heat 50ml of rapeseed oil in a roasting pan, season the buffalo cheeks with salt and pepper, and fry over medium to high heat for 2-3 minutes until browned all over. Remove the buffalo cheeks from the roasting pan. Fry the carrots and celery over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the onions and leeks and fry for another 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and fry briefly while stirring. Deglaze with red wine and port wine and reduce until reduced. Top up with the stock so that the meat is completely covered. Add the bay leaves and juniper berries, bring to a boil briefly, and cook in a preheated oven at 130°C for approximately 4-6 hours. Remove the bay leaves and juniper berries. Finely puree the vegetables in the meat stock with a hand blender until you have a creamy, smooth sauce. Quarter the buffalo cheeks and return them to the sauce. Bring to a boil briefly and season to taste.

Gratin:

• 800g of mealy potatoes
• 400ml cream
• 100g Parmesan
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
• Spices: salt, black pepper

Wash and finely grate the potatoes, and mix with the remaining ingredients. Season generously with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish.
Bake in a preheated oven at 130°C for approximately 60 minutes, briefly baking at high heat if necessary until golden brown. Let cool briefly and cut into smaller pieces. Then keep warm in the oven.

Vegetables:

• 500g green asparagus
• 1 southern paprika, red
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 The Butter
• Spices: salt, black pepper

Clean the asparagus and peppers and fry them briefly in a hot pan with oil and butter.
Then season with salt and pepper.

Many thanks to event chef Eric Reeh for this great recipe! Check out his website here: www.ericreeh.de