A steak dinner may not inspire thoughts of France, but the French bistro is renowned for its hearty cuisine, serving up tender cuts of steak with butter and a simple side dish. In this bistro-inspired recipe, a ravigote sauce made with herbs, cornichons and vinegar adds a slightly tangy flavour to rib-eye steaks, while confit frites are a crisp, filling side.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan forced). Place the oil, bay leaves, rosemary and garlic in a small roasting dish. Add the potato in a single layer. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until the potato is tender.
Meanwhile, to make the ravigote sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Season and set aside.
Heat a large heavy-based skillet or frying pan over high heat until smoking. Season the steaks and brush with oil. Add to the pan, cook for 5 minutes, turn and cook for a further 4 minutes. Turn the steaks again and cook for a further minute on each side for medium rare. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
Wipe the pan clean, return to high heat. Pour 1cm of olive oil from the potatoes in the base. Add the potato in 2 batches and cook, turning, for 8 minutes or until golden, adding more oil if needed.
Serve the steaks with the frites and ravigote sauce.
How to cook the perfect steak
- Make sure the steaks are at room temperature before you cook them (this can take between 30 minutes to an hour depending on the cut and thickness). Cooking them when they’re cold will stop the heat from efficiently penetrating the middle.
- Make sure your pan is very hot. Always heat a dry, unoiled pan. Brush or rub steaks with oil instead. A hot pan will help create the perfect caramelised crust on your steak.
- Turning the steaks frequently while cooking ensures they cook evenly internally.
- Make sure to rest the steaks, loosely covered with foil, for 5 minutes after cooking. This will give you a tender, juicy steak.