Dame Margaret's classic corned beef

If she isn't already a Dame, she should be! Margaret Fulton's corned beef recipe - from her classic 1970s slow cooker cookbook - reigns supreme. While I've posted a corned beef recipe before, I couldn't resist giving this version a whirl and it was delicious. Here's what went in the pot:

- a halved onion studded with three cloves in each half;

- a chopped carrot;

- half a cup of white wine vinegar;

- a generous teaspoon of brown sugar;

- a handful of whole black peppercorns;

- three bay leaves; and

- a one kilogram piece of premium (lean) beef. 

I then poured in water until it just covered the beef and set the cooker on low before zipping off to work. The cooker can stay on low for 8-10 hours. Easy!

I served the flavoursome slices of rosy corned beef with steamed lengths of carrot and peas and beans, along with creamy, melt-in-the-mouth potato bake and a blue cheese Maille mustard sauce. This one is definitely staying on the menu! Enjoy!