Roast fillet of British beef
THERE’S nothing quite so delicious as a piece of succulent beef.
If a beef fillet is on the match day menu at the City of Manchester Stadium, I know for sure that take-up will be absolutely huge. In fact, my friend and football legend Mike Summerbee’s favourite dish is a good steak.
The great thing about this recipe is that the majority of the dish can be prepared in advance - leaving you to simply cook the beef and reheat the rest of the ingredients before serving.
Ingredients
4 x 220g (approx) fillets of British beef
Horseradish Pancake: 500g plain mashed potatoes; 2 medium eggs, beaten; 100ml double cream; 100ml milk; 50g plain flour; 25g melted butter; 1 fresh horseradish root finely grated or 3 tbsp of horseradish sauce; 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Glazed Carrot Strips: 5 medium carrots; 250ml water; 100g sugar; 75g butter; salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauce: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 400g beef trimmings; 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped; sprig of thyme; 400ml red wine; 400ml brown veal stock; 50g butter, diced; dash of port/madeira (optional)
Method
Horseradish Pancake: Combine the mashed potato, eggs, cream, milk, flour, melted butter and grated horseradish. Mix well to form a smooth batter. Season well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan and pour in the mixture. Alternatively, pour the mixture into well greased metal rings in a frying pan for individual pancakes. When the pancake begins to cook around the edges, transfer to a preheated oven at 180ºC, 350ºF, Gas Mark 4 for 15 minutes, then place under a hot grill to allow colour to form on top. Leave the pancake to cool. Once set, remove from the pan and cut into wedges (or remove from metal rings, loosening the edges with a palette knife).
Glazed Carrot Strips: Peel the carrots and cut into large, thin strips. Place in a pan with the water, sugar and butter. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes until tender. Leave to cool.
Sauce: Place the oil in a thick-bottomed pan over a moderate heat and add the beef trimmings and vegetables. Cook for a few minutes until some colour forms. Deglaze with the red wine and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Add the stock and season well. Simmer for an hour or so, skimming the excess fat from the surface. Strain to remove the meat and vegetables and chill until needed.
Final preparation: Sear the beef in a hot pan in a little vegetable oil, then transfer to a preheated oven at 180ºC, 350ºF, Gas Mark 4 for 8 minutes (for medium). Meanwhile, re-heat the potato pancake in the oven. Reheat the carrot strips by tossing them in a little butter in a pan over a moderate heat. Reheat the sauce, adding the butter, port/madeira (if using) and then the thyme.
To serve: Place a wedge of horseradish pancake on each plate. Stand the beef beside it, topped with the glazed carrot strips and pour a little of the red wine jus around the plate.
Published: Thu, 04 June, 2009
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