A great French bistro classic: seared steak, golden and crispy French fries, and a butter-emulsified béarnaise sauce, flavored with tarragon and chervil. A generous, clean, and highly satisfying dish, doable at home with good, simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces Rump steaks or ribeye steaks
- 1.2 kg Frying potatoes such as Bintje or Agria
- 2 l Neutral frying oil
- 200 g Unsalted butter
- 4 pieces Egg yolks
- 2 pieces Shallots
- 6 cl White wine vinegar
- 6 cl Dry white wine
- 1 bunch Fresh tarragon
- 0.5 bunches Fresh chervil
- 1 tsp Black peppercorns
- to taste Fine salt
- to taste Ground black pepper
- to taste Fleur de sel
Method
- Peel the potatoes, cut them into even sticks, rinse them until the water runs clear, then dry them very carefully in a clean kitchen towel; they must feel quite matte to fry without splattering.
- Prepare the béarnaise reduction: simmer the diced shallots with the vinegar, white wine, crushed peppercorns, and tarragon stems for about ten minutes, until the aroma is pungent and the liquid has almost disappeared.
- Melt the butter over low heat and keep it warm; in a bowl set over a gentle water bath, whisk the yolks with the cooled reduction until you have a frothy, thickened, and slightly ribbon-like texture.
- Pour in the warm butter in a thin stream while whisking, until the sauce becomes smooth, glossy, and coats a spoon; add the chopped tarragon and chervil, salt lightly, then keep off the heat in a warm place.
- Do a first fry of the potatoes in hot but not smoking oil for a few minutes, until they are tender and pale blond; drain them on paper towels and let them rest while you sear the meat.
- Pat the steaks dry, season them with fine salt and ground pepper, then sear them in a very hot skillet until you get a brown and appetizing crust; flip them and continue cooking to your desired doneness, keeping the center tender to the touch.
- Let the steaks rest on a warm plate for a few minutes, just enough for the juices to redistribute and for the meat to remain juicy when sliced.
- Do a second fry of the potatoes in hotter oil, until they are deep golden, sound hollow, and are crispy; drain, salt immediately with the fleur de sel, and serve without waiting.
- Plate each serving with a steak, a generous portion of fries, and the béarnaise spooned alongside or in a sauceboat; add some chopped fresh herbs if you want to boost the aroma.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 900.8 kcal
- Protein
- 18.26 g
- Carbohydrate
- 57.49 g
- Fat
- 67.3 g
- Fibre
- 6.12 g
- Calcium
- 130.47 mg
- Iron
- 1.24 mg
- Magnesium
- 56.34 mg
