For the gravy

• 500g soup vegetables (carrot, onion, celeriac, leek)
• 1 garlic bulb
• 500g beef bones or 4 cups (1L) beef stock
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 juniper berries
• 3–5 Tbsp cornflour

For the chips

• 1kg floury potatoes
• 1 Tbsp plain flour
• 8 cups (2L) canola oil

For the topping

• 225g haloumi
• 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. For the gravy, wash and coarsely dice the soup vegetables. Place the vegetables, garlic and beef bones on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the tomato paste and canola oil in a large saucepan. Deglaze with a little water. Transfer the roast vegetables, beef bones, bay leaves and juniper berries to the saucepan and add 8 cups (2 litres) water. Simmer for 2 hours to reduce the liquid by half. (If using beef stock, simply pour over the roast vegetables – you won’t need the beef bones in this case.)
3. Strain the liquid into another saucepan through a fine sieve. Bring to the boil. Dissolve the cornflour in 3 tablespoons cold water and slowly whisk into the gravy until it reaches the desired consistency. Set aside.
4. Thoroughly wash the potatoes and cut them into chips. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the flour. Heat the oil to 180°C in a large saucepan. Deep-fry the chips in two batches, stirring occasionally. Cook until golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
5. Divide the chips among serving plates and crumble the haloumi over the top. Pour the warm gravy over the chips and serve immediately, garnished with a little parsley.

Image and text from Taste the Wild by Lisa Nieschlag and Lars Wentrup. Murdoch Books, RRP $49.99. Photo credit © Lisa Nieschlag.

Other recipes:

• Lamb and rosemary pie