MKR recipe episode 10: Eye Fillet with Polenta Chips, Brussels Sprouts and Garlic Butter

3 weeks ago 10

Prep time: 1 hour, 30 mins + setting

Cook time: 45 mins

Serves four.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil

8 thyme sprigs

8 garlic cloves, crushed

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

4 x 200g eye fillet steaks

Polenta Chips

2 litres vegetable stock

500gm instant polenta

70g finely grated parmesan

2 tsp chopped fresh oregano

2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Cornflour, to dust

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Garlic butter

1 small garlic bulb

125g butter, at room temperature, chopped

2 tbs finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1 tbs Dijon mustard

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp finely chopped thyme

¼ tsp smoked paprika

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Brussels sprouts

2 tsp olive oil

100g guanciale, cut into 1cm dice

2 garlic cloves, crushed

12 Brussels sprouts, halved

60g roasted almonds, coarsely chopped

100g finely grated parmesan

Method

1. To prepare steaks, combine oil, thyme, garlic and lemon zest in a dish or container, just big enough to fit steaks in a single layer. Season generously. Add steaks and rub mixture into meat. Refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour or up to overnight to marinate.

2. To prepare polenta chips, brush a 20cm x 30cm baking pan with olive oil.

3. Bring stock to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until polenta is very soft. Stir in cheese and herbs. Season well.

4. Pour polenta into prepared pan. Refrigerate until set.

5. Meanwhile, to make garlic butter, halve garlic bulb horizontally. Drizzle halves with oil and season. Put halves back together and place on a 20cm piece of foil. Wrap to enclose. Roast on a tray for about 1 hour or until soft. Squeeze garlic out of skin into a small processor. Add remaining ingredients and process to combine. Place butter mixture on a large piece of baking paper and roll into a cylinder shape. Twist ends to seal. Refrigerate until firm.

6. Preheat oven to 180C.

7. To prepare Brussels sprouts, heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add guanciale and cook until lightly browned. Stir in garlic and sprouts. Transfer to an oven dish. Roast for 15 minutes or until just tender. Sprinkle with almonds and parmesan. Roast for a further 5 minutes.

8. Invert set polenta onto a chopping board. Cut into small rectangles. Dust with cornflour.

9. Deep fry polenta fingers in small batches until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel. Season.

10. Increase oven to 200C. Bring steaks to room temperature. Scrape off any excess marinade.

11. Heat a large oiled frying pan or barbecue over on high heat. Cook steaks for 1-2 minutes on each side. Transfer to the oven and roast for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Stand, covered with foil, to rest for 10 minutes.

Tips

We cooked our steaks sous-vide on the day (for 2 hours at 60C), before searing, as we were cooking for a large number of serves and wanted to ensure an even result. Here we have provided a more conventional method (searing then roasting in the oven) which is more easily reproduced at home.

Exact cooking time of steaks will depend on their size and thickness.