The Sunday Times Magazine - UK (2022-01-23)

The Sunday Times Magazine • 41

The Dish

3

SERVES

2 people

INGREDIENTS

2 ribeye steaks, about 150-200g each

Rapeseed or other neutral oil

For the secret sauce

10g dried mushrooms

1 shallot, finely chopped

100ml Noilly Prat vermouth

40g butter

1 tsp green peppercorns, toasted

and crushed

A few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked

1 tsp chopped tarragon (or ½ tsp dried)

1 clove of garlic, grated

1 tbsp flour

200ml chicken stock

2 tbsp crème fraîche or double cream

A small bunch of parsley, very

finely chopped

A squeeze of lemon (optional)

To serve

250g oven chips or fries

Salad leaves

01 Bring the steak out of the fridge

at least 30 min before cooking.

Season well on both sides with

sea salt and black pepper.

02 For the sauce (which can be

made ahead), put the mushrooms

in a bowl and cover with 100ml

boiling water. Allow to steep for

10 min, then strain through a

sieve, reserving the mushroom

stock for the sauce. Finely chop

the rehydrated mushrooms.

03 Put the shallot and vermouth in

a heavy-bottomed pan and bring

to the boil over a medium-high

heat. Reduce to a simmer and

cook for a few minutes, until the

alcohol has evaporated. Turn the

heat down slightly and add the

butter, crushed pepper, thyme,

tarragon, garlic and mushrooms.

Stir everything together and cook

for a couple of minutes.

04 Scatter over the flour, working

it into the pan contents, and cook

for a minute or two, then pour

over the mushroom and chicken

stocks, stirring to combine and

create a smooth sauce. Bring to

the boil, then simmer and reduce

for 5 min until thick and glossy.

Add the crème fraîche, then stir

in the parsley. Taste and adjust the

seasoning with a squeeze of lemon

or salt, then remove from the heat

while you cook the chips and steak.

05 To cook the steak, heat a

heavy-bottomed frying pan over a

high heat until hot. Dab the steaks

with kitchen towel to remove any

moisture brought out by the salt,

and rub with a little rapeseed or

other neutral oil. Lower into the

pan (it should sizzle immediately)

and cook, pressing down across the

steak occasionally with a utensil to

maximise caramelisation, cooking

to your liking. Depending on the

thickness of the steak this will be

about 1-2 min on each side for rare,

3-5 min on each side for medium

rare, or 5-7 min for well done.

06 Transfer to a chopping board

and rest for at least half the time

you cooked it for, then slice against

the grain and divide between

plates with the chips. Warm the

sauce through and serve spooned

over the steak. Serve with a

sharply dressed green salad n

Pan-fried steak,

oven chips and

“secret sauce”

Of course you can go all out and
make your own chips but I prefer
to focus on getting the steak right,
which is not a careless task if it’s
not something you cook on repeat.
Have your sauce ready to go and
the chips nearly done when you
come to cooking the steak. Also,
ventilate the kitchen because
there’s always a bit of smoke
involved. Crucially, make sure
you leave time to rest the steak, as
this will make all the difference to
keeping it super-juicy and tender.
I’ve opted for ribeye because I love
its flavour, fat and marbling, but
bavette or featherblade would be
FOOD STYLING BY ALICE OSTAN. PROPS: AGATHE GITS good options for flavour.