Beef cheeks with vanilla carrot purée and thyme glazed carrots

Beef cheeks

• 20 g vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
• 4 beef cheeks (approx. 800 g), trimmed
• 180 g brown onion, cut into wedges (1 cm)
• 150 g celery, cut into pieces (2-3 cm)
• 120 g carrot, cut into pieces (2-3 cm)
• 120 g leek, cut into pieces (2-3 cm)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
• 150 g red wine
• 1 tsp Beef stock paste (see Tips)
• 500 g water

Roast baby onions

• 10 pickling onions, unpeeled, cut into halves
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• salt, to season
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

Vanilla carrot purée

• 3 carrots (approx. 250 g), trimmed and cut into pieces (2 cm)
• 50 g unsalted butter
• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved
• 2 pinches salt, to taste
• 2 pinches ground black pepper, to taste
• 150 - 200 g water, to just cover carrots, plus extra if needed

Thyme glazed carrots

• 30 g unsalted butter
• 16 baby carrots, trimmed
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

Brioche croutons

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 50 g brioche, bread, cut into small cubes (5 mm - see Tips)
• salt, to season
• ground black pepper, to season
• fresh thyme, leaves only, for garnishing