Fillet of Beef with Potato Rosti

It’s very hard to mess this one up. The sauce here has a nice combination of shallot and bacon mixed with the red wine jus to give it both a smoky and sweet flavour.

METHOD

Start with the potato rosti. You can make these 2 or 3 days beforehand, wrap them in cling film tightly and store at room temperature. Run the peeled potato through a spiralizer. With a clean tea towel, squeeze out any moisture. 

Place four blini pans onto a medium heat and fill each with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in a small amount of potato so it covers the base of the pan. Press the potato down with a fork. I find using two forks is great for this job as it makes it easy for you to turn the potato. Cook one side for 3 minutes and then the other for the same amount of time. Once cooked, drain the rostis on some kitchen paper and then season from a height with sea salt. Set aside until needed. I normally stack them on a tray lined with kitchen paper and cover with cling film.

Ensure that the beef is at room temperature before you start to cook it by taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. 

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/410ºF/gas mark 6.

Heat an ovenproof frying pan on a high heat to get it smoking hot. Season the beef generously  with sea salt and cracked black pepper all over. Add a little oil to the panned cook the steak until a nice colour is achieved all over. Remember no colour equals no flavour. Once you are happy with the nice golden crust of colour, transfer the steak to the oven. 

These timings will depend on thickness, so this is a rough guide. 

Rare: 2 minutes 

Medium rare: 3–4 minutes 

Medium: 5–6 minutes 

Medium well: 8–9 minutes 

Well done: 11–12 minutes

Once you have the steak cooked to your liking, allow it to rest. I find it easiest to cook the steaks before the dinner party and reheat them in the oven at 190ºC/410ºF/gas mark 6 just before serving for 4–5 minutes. 

Place the same pan you cooked the steak in back onto the hob on a medium heat. Once the pan is hot, crisp and caramelise the shallots and bacon for 3–4 minutes in the steak juices. Once the shallots are golden and softened and the bacon is cooked, add the red wine jus to the pan. Heat through and remove from the heat.

Prepare the spinach by sautéing it in some oil, butter and salt on a high heat for 30 seconds to a minute. Drain it on some kitchen paper. 

To plate up, spoon some celeriac purée on one side. Using a spoon, make a swipe through it and fill the gap with a small amount of the sauce from the bacon and shallots. Add the spinach purée to the other side of the plate and place a fillet steak on top of it. Spoon the shallots and bacon over the beef. Finally, lay some spinach on top of the beef and top with a potato rosti.