Rib of beef with onions, goat’s cheese and broccoli

Method

1. Begin with the onions. Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6 and bring a small pan of water to the boil. Trim the roots off the onions and slice off and reserve the green tops. Halve the white bulbs, then cook them in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and refresh in iced water, then arrange them cut-side up in a lightly oiled baking dish that fits them snugly in a single layer.
2. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with marjoram/oregano and garlic, then crumble over the goat’s cheese. Bake for 40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Put the vinegar, peppercorns, garlic, thyme and sugar in a small pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 5 minutes, then strain into a clean pan. Set aside.
4. Season the beef very well with salt and pepper on both sides. When the onions are nearly ready, put an ovenproof, heavy-based frying pan over a high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Sear the beef on both sides until brown, then transfer the pan to the oven and increase the temperature to 220°C fan/gas 9. Cook for 15 minutes for rare to medium-rare. If the onions are browning too much, cover with foil for the rest of their cooking time.
5. Set the cooked beef aside on a board to rest. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes so it still has a little bite. Drain, put it in a bowl, then add the rest of the broccoli ingredients and toss to coat.
6. Bring the sauce back to the boil and add the cornflour mixture to thicken. Finely slice the reserved onion greens and sprinkle over the baked onions with a pinch of cayenne and some nutmeg. Serve the sauce with the beef and watercress, alongside the onions, broccoli and, if you like, roasties