A Friday night dinner like no other: turn your hand to making this classic steak diane, served with golden roast potatoes, and you’ll have a sophisticated dinner fit for royalty.
Ingredients
- 300g waxy potatoes (such as charlotte), cut into wedges
- Olive oil for drizzling
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and bashed
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 x 200g British dry-aged sirloin or rump steaks
- ¼ tsp black peppercorns, crushed in a pestle and mortar
- ½ tsp green peppercorns, crushed in a pestle and mortar
- Watercress to serve
For the sauce
- Splash olive oil
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 150ml beef or chicken stock
- 3 tbsp crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp hot horseradish cream (from a jar)
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Toss the potatoes with a drizzle of oil, the garlic, herbs and plenty of salt and pepper in a roasting tray. Roast for 25 minutes, shaking halfway through, until the potatoes are tender and golden.
- After the potatoes have been in the oven for 15 minutes, heat a drizzle of oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan set over a medium-high heat. Season the steaks with salt and most of both peppers, then
cook in the pan for 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare (or until done to your liking). Remove and set aside to rest. - For the sauce, heat a splash of oil in the steak pan over a medium heat, add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until golden. Add the brandy and bubble on a high heat until most of it has evaporated. Add the stock and return to the boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the tasty bits from the base of the pan. Turn the heat to low, stir in the crème fraîche and horseradish, then season.
- Slice the steak and return to the pan with the sauce. Serve with the herby roast potatoes, plenty of sauce and watercress on the side.
