Chargrilled beef fillet with cabbage and truffle mash
A fine cut of beef marinated in herbs and served with creamy mash, cabbage and a rich beef sauce.
Ingredients
For the beef
- 4 x 180–200g/6–7oz pieces beef fillet, ideally cut as a circle from the centre of the fillet
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 rosemary sprig, leaves only
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 5 black peppercorns
- 300ml/10fl oz Port
- 1 litre/1¾ pints beef stock
- 15²µ/½´Ç³ú butter, chopped
- 10g black winter truffles, sliced
For the pastry and mushrooms
- 350g/12oz ready-rolled puff pastry
- 1 free-range egg yolk, beaten
- 15²µ/½´Ç³ú butter
- 250g/9oz chestnut mushrooms, quartered
For the cabbage
- ½ tsp olive oil
- 1 savoy cabbage, finely shredded
- 50ml/2fl oz double cream
For the mashed potatoes
- 1kg/2lb 4oz potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú butter
- 250ml/9fl oz double cream
- 250ml/9fl oz milk
For the garnishes
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 40²µ/1½´Ç³ú chicken liver parfait
Method
Rub the beef with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Put in a sealable container with the thyme, rosemary and garlic. Rub the meat with the marinade. Seal the container and leave in the fridge for 1–2 hours.
To make the sauce, heat the oil and gently cook the shallot until softened. Add the peppercorns and Port. Cook until reduced in volume by a third.
Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes, or until reduced to a sauce-like consistency. Pass through a sieve into a clean saucepan. Season and whisk in the butter. Add the truffle slices.
For the pastry and mushrooms, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Cut four 7cm/2½in-diameter circles from the pastry. Brush with the egg and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms until soft. Season to taste.
For the cabbage, heat the oil in a clean saucepan and gently cook the cabbage until tender. Mix in the cream and season. Set aside.
For the mashed potatoes, put the potatoes into a pan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until cooked. Drain and put back into the pan to dry in the heat.
Mash the potatoes. Heat the butter and cream in a saucepan. When hot, add to the potatoes with the milk. Mash and season.
Take the beef out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature. Wipe away the marinade.
Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Rub the beef with a little more oil and cook in the pan for a few minutes, then turn and cook for a few more minutes to make a criss-cross pattern. Turn the beef again, cook for a few minutes and repeat, until done to your liking. Remove from the pan and rest on a clean plate for 3–5 minutes.
For the garnish, fry the thyme sprigs in the oil, or until crispy.
To serve, place a large spoon of creamed cabbage in the centre of each serving plate. Spoon a generous amount of sauce around the cabbage. On top of the cabbage stack a pastry disc, then the mushrooms, then the beef. Garnish with a quenelle of chicken liver parfait and the crispy thyme and serve with the mashed potato.
