Roast Beef with Cinnamon Sauce and Potato Gratin

For the meat: Peel onion, celery root and carrot and then finely chop. Boil vinegar, add spices and chopped vegetables and let cool. Rinse meat, pat dry and place in a pot with the marinade so that the meat is covered, or fill in a freezer bag and close tightly. Marinate meat 2 days in refrigerator, stirring occasionally.

After 2 days, remove meat from the marinade and pat dry. Season meat with salt and cinnamon powder.

Preheat oven to 200°C (approximately 400°F).

Drain marinade through a sieve into a small saucepan and bring to a boil (remove vegetables and cinnamon sticks).

Measure clarified butter into a roasting pan, heat and brown meat on all sides for about 6 minutes.

Add vegetables and cinnamon sticks and pour in 250 ml (approximately 1 cup) of the marinade. Close lid of the roasting dish and let meat simmer on low heat in preheated oven for 1.5-2 hours. Turn halfway through. Add raisins 15 minutes before end of cooking.

For the gratin: Peel potatoes and parsnips and cut into thin slices. Grease a baking dish with a little butter, peel the garlic clove, cut in half and rub baking dish with it. Combine cream with milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Place vegetables in layers into the dish, pour cream mixture and top with pats of butter. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse and trim scallions and cut diagonally into slices. Coarsely chop cashew nuts. Add 10 minutes before end of cooking time on top of the gratin.

After end of cooking, remove roast from oven and cut into slices. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. At choice, thicken with some cornstarch mixed in cold water and season with sugar and salt.

Serve meat with the sauce on plates and garnish with cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.