Skip to main content

Lads night in. Steak

Its just Joe and I tonight, It's half-term and Lisa and Martha are enjoying the delights of Babbington House for a girly night.
Seeing as its just us two geezers we are having steak .... of course. I saw this very very simple recipe by April Bloomfield at the weekend and I thought it sounded really good ... maybe tonights the night to try it out.
I have also made a mental note to make sure I add The Spotted Pig to my list of places to go to in New York when I am next there.


Steak with watercress and chillies
This is my not-so-Thai salad, inspired by those bright heaps of meat and herbs, but quite different.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 packed tsp finely grated lime zest
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a few glugs1 tsp Dijon mustard1/8 tsp finely grated garlicMaldon or another flaky sea salt450g onglet steak, cut in half or thirds, if necessary2 large red chillies, thinly sliced (including seeds)3 medium shallots, thinly sliced1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved2 big fistfuls (about 75g) peppery baby watercress



Method
Heat the grill to high, or set a cast-iron griddle over a high flame.
Whisk together the lime zest, juice, extra-virgin olive oil, mustard, garlic, and ½ tsp sea salt in a small bowl. Set aside the dressing.
Rub both sides of the steak with a generous drizzle of oil, then season all over with more sea salt. Scatter one side with half the chillies and give them a good old pat so they stick, then flip the steak and do the same on the other side. Grill, turning it over once, until it’s charred and lovely looking: 4-6 minutes for medium rare. Some of the chillies will fall onto the hot surface. Pluck them off with tongs as they get charred and put them in a bowl. When the steak is ready, add it to the bowl. Spoon about 2 tsp of the dressing over the steak and chillies, and toss.
Combine the shallots and tomatoes in a large bowl, pour in the rest of the dressing and give it a toss. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then add the watercress and toss gently but well.
Cut the steak, across the grain, into long, thin slices, about 12cm in length and slightly thinner than 0.5cm. Layer the salad and steak on a platter, ending with a small handful of the vegetables. Spoon on the liquid from the steak bowl and scatter over any remaining chilli.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Crack potatoes courtesy of Ottolenghi. Harissa and confit garlic roast potatoes

Another recipe from Ottolenghi's Simple, another recommendation from Will Saunders.   I know its the middle of summer but who doesn't love a roastie? These little tinkers are so good that they are like crack, class A calories. The clever bit is the addition of semolina and caraway seeds which adds a new level of crunchiness to add to the delicious warm heat of Harissa. Heres the recipe These make a lovely, spicy change from the traditional Sunday roasties. They’re especially good with spiced roast meat. Serves six to eight. 2 large heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled 130g goose or duck fat 4 sprigs fresh rosemary  6 sprigs fresh thyme  2kg maris piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 5cm chunks 40g ground semolina 2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted and lightly crushed 2 tbsp rose harissa Flaky sea salt Heat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Put the garlic, fat and herbs in a small ovenproof pan or saucepan for which you have a lid. Cover and roast for 40 minut

Nigel Slaters deceptively brilliant monkfish

Lisa discovered this recipe in her favourite Nigel book. It is one of those fish, 'but not as we know it Jim' recipes. Not just because Monkfish is the fish that can best impersonate meat but also because of the marinade ingredients that are more often featured with lamb. It's not difficult to do but the flavour is a revelation, which makes it a perfect recipe in my book. This can be cooked on a grill pan or a barbecue. Ingredients 3 bushy sprigs rosemary, leaves finely chopped 4 anchovy fillets 2 large cloves garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 large lemon, juice only 3 tbsp olive oil 800g/1½lb monkfish fillet Method Pull the leaves from the rosemary stalks and chop them finely, then tip them into a bowl large enough to take the fish. Rinse the anchovy fillets and smash them to a rough pulp with the flat edge of your chopping knife. Peel the garlic, crush it flat, then smash it to a purée in the same way. Stir together the herb, anchovy and garlic, adding a grind

Sea Bass on mushroom potatoes with salsa Verde

I felt the overwhelming need to cook something new on Saturday night. I didn't want the tired and tested I wanted to explore new culinary waters. However combined with this desire was an equal and opposing force, driven by being absolutely knackered, that meant it had to be simple too. I returned to one of Jamie's early books, to a recipe that IO had meant to do on countless occasions but never quite got round to. I have done several versions of Sea Bass on a bed of potatoes, some that I have written about on this blog. The one question I would have is about the thickness of the potatoes and the length of time they need to be cooked through ... in my oven I reckon they need about 10 minutes more than the recipe suggests. I would suggest a bit of a trial run if you are going to do it for a dinner party ... however once you have given it a whirl I think this makes for a very easy recipe for a crowd. Here's the recipe. Roasted slashed fillet of sea bass stuffed with herbs, bak