Marmite beef fillet with a chasseur ragout

Marmite beef fillet with a chasseur ragout  - Serves 4

1 x 175g (6oz) beef fillet steak per portion

Roast potato confit cakes (recipe below)

Cooking oil

Butter

Marmite for squeezing and brushing

Salt and pepper

Roast confit potatoes:

Potato disks (approximately 3” diameter x ¾” deep)

Olive oil

Coarse sea salt

Method

Brush the potato disks generously with olive oil before placing on a baking tray. Sprinkle each with sea salt and cook in a pre-heated oven (190ºC) for 30-40 minutes to a golden brown and tender. It’s best to check the potatoes after

20-25 minutes, depending on their thickness, they may already be cooked.

Chasseur sauce

1 onion, chopped

1 bayleaf

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

handful of button mushrooms, sliced

knob of butter

sprig or two of tarragon

2 tablespoons tarragon or white wine vinegar

1 glass white wine

400ml tin beef consommé (1 x tin)

1-2 teaspoons cornflour or arrowroot

2 tablespoons Marmite

salt and pepper

Method

Panfry the onions, bayleaf, garlic and sliced mushrooms in a saucepan until softened and well coloured.

Add the vinegar, allowing it to boil until almost dry. Add the white wine, also allowing to boil and reduce in quantity by three quarters.

Pour in the beef consommé, bring to the simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Loosen a teaspoon of cornflour with water (or white wine) and whisk into the simmering sauce to thicken. For a thicker consistency, loosen and add the remaining teaspoon.

The Marmite can now be whisked into the sauce, any more is purely for personal preference.

Cook for a further 5 minutes before straining through a fine sieve. The sauce is now ready to serve.

Garnish

Shallot rings, thickly cut (5-10mm thick), softened in butter (button onions can also be used, first pre-blanching in boiling water until tender) 5-6 per portion.

Small button mushrooms, sautéed in butter – 6 per portion.

Picked tarragon leaves, cut into 2-3 pieces.

Tomatoes, blanched and cut into 6-8 wedges, de-seeded and halved.

Roughly chopped curly parsley to finish.

To serve

Season and sauté the beef fillet steak in a little cooking oil and butter.

Once cooked, remove the fillets from the pan and leave to rest for a few minutes. Each of the steaks can be brushed with Marmite, leaving a rich bite and glossy finish.

Re-heat the pre-baked potato cake in a hot oven.

Warm the chasseur sauce, microwaving the cooked shallots and button mushrooms before adding to the sauce along with 3-4 pieces of tomato per portion and chopped tarragon.

In a large bowl, present the beef fillets on a potato cake.

Spoon the chasseur garnish on top or around, finishing with the Marmite chasseur sauce.