FILLET STEAK AU POIVRE WITH ROSEMARY STRAW FRIES

- METHOD -

Preheat the oven to 180 ˚C. Season the fillets all over with salt. Grind loads of pepper onto a wooden board. Roll the fillets through the pepper so their sides are crusted with pepper, but not the top or bottom of the fillets.

Heat a saucepan and add two tablespoons of oil and two tablespoons of butter. Fry the fillets until they start browning nicely. Remove and place fillets in an ovenproof dish. Roast in the oven until done to your liking. The best way to know what’s happening inside a really thick-cut piece of steak? Use a meat thermometer! For rare, the internal temperature of the steak should be 50 ˚C. It’s 54 degrees for medium rare, 57 degrees for medium and 60 for medium well.

Then make the brandy cream sauce while the steak is roasting. Deglaze the pan you fried the steak in by adding the brandy. Cook it for a minute or two, then add the water, cream and liquid stock concentrate. Let it bubble for a minute or two and it’s done!

To make the straw fries, slice the potatoes into matchsticks. (You could of course use a knife, but it’s ever so much easier to use a mandoline with a julienne blade or a veggie peeler with a julienne blade!) Fill a deep saucepan halfway with oil and heat. Tests to see if the oil is hot enough by dropping in one piece of potato. If it starts bubbling away vigorously immediately, the oil is hot enough. Add the potatoes and also drop in the sprigs of rosemary. Potatoes this thinly sliced cook very quickly so don’t walk away! Drain fries on paper towel. Crumble over the fried rosemary and grind over salt.

Recipe concept & photography by Lizet Hartley.

Lizet Hartley is a freelance stills and reel food stylist, food photographer and recipe developer. In her spare time she – rather predictably – cooks. Get more of her recipes on her blog at http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za