The unthinkable happened - there was a half bottle of decent red wine left over! Given this was a Sunday, and there was a need for some slow cooked comfort food (not linked to the previous night's wine intake, honest) I had a look through the cupboards to see what else I could find. 

A leftover bag of precooked chestnuts gave the inspiration I needed.  When combined with the beef and wine this cooks down into a rich sweet sauce that complements the beef perfectly.

If you have ever taken the time to stud a leg of lamb with garlic slivers and rosemary you will know it adds a depth of flavour to the meat as it flavours from inside out.  Do exactly the same to a piece of brisket. With a sharp knife cut cloves of garlic into slivers, pierce the meat and stuff each hole with garlic and rosemary.  Do this all over the joint.

Melt the butter and oil in a pan and brown the brisket on all sides. The colouring helps develop the flavour. Add some smoked bacon pieces/pancetta/lardons - because everything tastes better with bacon - and fry for a few minutes. Tip in the chestnuts, wine, some bay leaves and any remaining peeled cloves of garlic from the bulb. Seal tight and cook for at least 2 hours, longer if you want, just check it a couple of times to see if you need to add more water or wine.

Take the beef out and check what is left in the pan. Thicken with a little cornflour if needed, taste for seasoning. Slice the beef into healthy slices and pour over some of the juices, bacon bits and chestnuts.

Serve with some green veg and something to catch the juices, like a roasted garlic and chickpea mash.

Pot roast beef brisket and chestnuts

• 1kg beef brisket
• 1 bulb garlic
• Fresh rosemary
• 80g butter
• Olive oil
• 100g smoked bacon pieces or pancetta
• 600g cooked chestnuts (vacuum packed)
• 5 bay leaves
• 200ml red wine, full bodied