Sweet Spiced Roast Beef with Maple Chickpea Mash

• 2kg topside of beef joint

For the topside rub:

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (preferably dark syrup for its robust taste)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tsp paprika

For the chickpea mash:

• 2 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1⁄4 tsp of paprika
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (preferably dark syrup for its robust taste)
• Thyme sprigs

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/Gas 3
2. In a bowl, blend the beef rub ingredients together to make a paste
3. Put the joint in a snug-fit roasting tin and rub the paste all over. Transfer to the oven and roast for 55 minutes based on a 2kg weight for medium-rare
4. Remove from the oven when cooked, keep covered with foil and leave to rest before carving
5. For the chickpea mash, bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and add chickpeas. Reduce heat and simmer until chickpeas are tender
6. Drain off the excess water and save about 100ml
7. In another pan, heat olive oil and soften the onions then stir in paprika and maple syrup
8. Transfer chickpeas and cooked onions to a food processor. Purée together until smooth and creamy, slowly adding a little chickpea water if required to loosen
9. Carve roast beef and serve with a generous helping of sweetened and creamy chickpea mash with a few sprigs of thyme for garnish