A delicious roast beef served with crisp, golden Yorkshire puddings and a nice thyme jus.

Make Yorkshire pudding: Combine the milk with ½ cup water. Sift the flour and some salt into a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and start whisking. As the mixture thickens, gradually add the milk and water, whisking until a smooth batter forms. Pour into a pitcher, cover and stand for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Start the roast: Split in half the garlic, make incision into the meat and insert the garlic into the meat, at about same distance apart. Rub the meat with salt and pepper all around. On the stove top, heat the oil in a roasting pan over high heat. Add the beef, fat side down, and brown all over, turning with tongs. Transfer the beef to the oven. Roast for 30 minutes for rare, 45 minutes for medium rare, and 1 hour for well done, turning and basting every 15 minutes.

Place a 12-hole muffin pan in the oven. Transfer the beef to a plate, cover lightly with foil and allow resting for 5-10 minutes before carving. Leaving a tablespoon of fat in the roasting pan, drain the excess fat and use it to grease the preheated muffin pan.

Return preheated muffin pan in the oven; wait for 2 or 3 minutes until lightly smoking. Divide the Yorkshire pudding batter between the cups and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.

Make the jus: Heat the remaining fat in the roasting pan over the stove top. Add the vegetables and gently fry over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until golden, stirring constantly. Drain removing any excess fat; add the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns and a little hot stock, scraping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining hot stock and simmer to reduce by half, skimming off any foam or fat. Strain into a saucepan, discarding the vegetables and seasonings. Skim again, season to taste, then cover and keep warm. Pour into a warm saucer just before serving.

Serve the beef and puddings on warm plates, with the jus on the side. The jus is like a thin gravy.

Note: Resting a roast makes the meat easier to carve and helps prevent the juices from running. Any juices from the resting can be poured over the meat, but do not add them to the jus: they will spoil its texture.