Pan-Grilled Steak with Béarnaise Sauce
Serves 6
6 x 6 oz (170 g) sirloin or fillet steaks 1 clove of garlic A little olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper
Béarnaise Sauce (see recipe)
Garnish: Fresh watercress (optional)
Prepare the steaks about an hour before cooking. Cut a clove of garlic in half; rub both sides of each steak with the cut clove of garlic, grind some black pepper over the steaks and sprinkle on a few drops of olive oil. Turn the steaks in the oil and leave aside. If using sirloin steaks, score the fat at 1 inch (2.5 cm) intervals.
Make the béarnaise sauce and keep warm. Heat the grill pan, season the steaks with a little salt and put them down onto the hot pan.
Turn a sirloin steak over onto the fat and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the fat becomes dry. Put the steaks onto a plate and leave them rest for a few minutes in a warm place.
To Serve: Put the steaks on hot plates. Serve the béarnaise sauce over one end of the steak or in a little bowl on the side of the plate. Garnish with pommes allumettes (matchstick chips) and fresh watercress.
BÉarnaise Sauce
4 tablespoons tarragon vinegar 4 tablespoons dry white wine 2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots A pinch of freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon freshly chopped French tarragon leaves 2 egg yolks (preferably free-range) 115-175g (4-6 oz) butter approx, salted or unsalted depending on what it is being served with.
If you do not have tarragon vinegar to hand, use a wine vinegar and add some extra chopped tarragon.
Boil the first four ingredients together in a low heavy bottomed stainless steel saucepan until completely reduced and the pan is almost dry but not browned. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water immediately. Pull the pan off the heat and allow to cool for one or two minutes.
Whisk in the egg yolks and add the butter bit by bit over a very low heat, whisking all the time. As soon as one piece melts, add the next piece; it will gradually thicken. If it shows signs of becoming too thick or slightly scrambling, remove from the heat immediately and add a little cold water. Do not leave the pan or stop whisking until the sauce is made. Finally add a tablespoon of freshly chopped French tarragon and taste for seasoning.
If the sauce is slow to thicken it may be because you are excessively cautious and the heat is too low. Increase the heat slightly and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens to a coating consistency. It is important to remember, however, that if you are making béarnaise sauce in a saucepan directly over the heat, it should be possible to put your hand on the side of the saucepan at any stage. If the saucepan feels too hot for your hand it is also too hot for the sauce. Another good tip is to keep a bowl of cold water close by so that you can plunge the bottom of the saucepan into it if it becomes too hot.
Keep the sauce warm in a pyrex bowl over hot but not simmering water or in a Thermos flask until you want to serve it.
