Braised Brisket and Creamy Wild Mushrooms

Preheat oven to 325°F.

On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt together with the flat side of a knife into a paste form. Make a garlic paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; stir to combine.

Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Dust brisket generously with flour. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high flame and coat with the remaining olive oil. Put the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket and pour the garlic paste over the whole thing. Add the wine and tomatoes; toss in the parsley, thyme and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices until the beef is fork tender.

Remove the brisket to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. Strain the stock and spoon out some of the excess fat.

Meanwhile, prepare the mushrooms. Heat up a large sauté pan and approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped garlic, the mushrooms and thyme. Cook until a nice light brown color develops then add brisket stock and continue to simmer and reduce -- mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. When thickened, finish with the horseradish, sour cream and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.