2103. FILLET STEAK in MADEIRA SAUCE with BACON MASHED POTATO, CARROTS and GREEN BEANS

serves one


For the bacon mashed potato
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
3½ fl oz double cream
small handful fresh chives, chopped
1¾ oz bacon, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the green beans
3½ oz green beans, trimmed
2 free-range egg yolks
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine
3 fl oz double cream
1 tablespoon butter
½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ beef stock cube, crumbled
small handful fresh chopped parsley leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the carrots
5 baby carrots, scrubbed and trimmed
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons caster sugar
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the fillet steak
1 x 7 oz fillet steak
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 fl oz Madeira wine

For the Madeira sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
4¾ fl oz Madeira wine
3½ fl oz red wine
2 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

For the mashed potato, cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water for 12-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain well, add the butter and mash until smooth, then stir in the cream and chopped chives.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add the chopped bacon and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown. Drain. Stir the bacon into the mashed potato. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the green beans, bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well, refresh in cold water and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, red wine vinegar and red wine together. Add the cream and continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until foaming. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.

Add the cooked beans and the crumbled stock cube, then pour in the egg mixture and stir well to coat all of the beans. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Blanch the carrots by bringing a separate pan of salted water to the boil. Add the carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until just tender, then drain and refresh in cold water.

Heat the butter and oil in a separate frying pan over a medium heat, then add the blanched carrots and sugar and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until golden-brown. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the fillet steak, season the steak, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the butter in a frying pan over a high heat until foaming, then add the steak and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown on both sides.

Pour the Madeira wine over the steak and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the fillet steak from the pan, reserving the pan and any juices.

Transfer the fillet steak to a baking tray and cook in the oven for a further 2-3 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.

For the Madeira sauce, heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.

Add 3½fl oz of the Madeira wine to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced by half.

Add the red wine and continue to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced by one third.

Add the remaining Madeira wine and a tablespoon of water to the reserved pan juices in the pan the steak was cooked in. Heat the wine for 1-2 minutes over a medium heat, scraping any browned bits up from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Sieve the juices, reserving the liquid.

Add the sieved juices to the Madeira sauce. Whisk in the butter until it has melted, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve, place the fillet steak into the centre of a serving plate. Spoon the carrots, green beans and mashed potato alongside. Drizzle over the Madeira sauce.


bacon recipe courtesy of: James Tanner, Step Up to the Plate, BBC Food