Charred beef with fennel, spring onion and radish salad

Serves 4 Starters and mains

Beef 1

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Ingredients

  • 1 bunch spring onions
  • 2 firm unwaxed or well-scrubbed oranges
  • 2 small bulbs fennel with fresh green fronds
  • 6-8 radishes
  • 2tsp olive oil
  • 4tbsp capers, drained and dried

For the steak and fragrant salt

  • 2 x 225g pieces prime beef fillet
  • 2tsp olive oil
  • 1tbsp sea salt crystals
  • 4tsp dried green peppercorns, freshly crushed
  • 2tsp fennel seeds, crushed
  • 5g fresh marjoram sprigs or oregano, leaves picked off and chopped

For the dressing

  • juice of 1 small orange
  • 1tsp Dijon mustard
  • 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Sit the oranges on a plate, slice off the skin and cut the segments from the membrane and put in a bowl. Keep all the juice collected on the plate and squeeze out the membrane and skin and keep for the dressing. Using a mandolin or a vegetable peeler, slice the fennel and radishes thinly and put in a bowl with the orange segments. Scatter with the fennel fronds and cover. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the dry capers. Fry until crisp, tip onto a kitchen paper lined plate to drain.

Rub the beef with the olive oil and scatter with a little of the salt. Mix the crushed pepper, fennel seeds, half the orange zest (keep the rest for the dressing) and marjoram on a plate.

Take 1tsp of this mixture and add to the salt crystals and put in a small dish for serving. Rub the beef with the remaining mixture to coat. Heat a ridged griddle pan and when very hot sear the coated sides of the beef to char for 2 minutes each side. Put the beef on a plate, cover and leave to rest for about 10 minutes.

To make the dressing, put all the collected juice from the plate into a bowl (you need 11⁄2tbsp, so squeeze the orange only if you need it) along with the remaining zest, add the mustard and whisk in the oil.

Drain the curled spring onions, then tip onto a sheet of kitchen roll to absorb excess water and add to the salad. Slice the beef across and divide the slices between 4 plates and top with a tangle of salad. Scatter the crispy capers and spoon over the dressing. Serve with the fragrant salt.

Recipes and food styling: Linda Tubby. Photography and prop styling: Angela Dukes.
Beef 1
Recipes and food styling: Linda Tubby. Photography and prop styling: Angela Dukes.

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