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Seared fillet of beef with roasted beetroots, tomatoes and horseradish crème fraîche
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 400g piece of beef fillet, cut from the thick end
- 2 bundles of small beetroots (about 3 per person), preferably with leaves still attached
- extra virgin olive oil
- 6 rose garlic cloves, peeled, crudely crushed with the back of a knife
- 1 bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked from stems
- 250g Marinda tomatoes, or any tasty variety, cut into quarters or eighths, depending on size
- 1 lemon, cut into quarters
For the crème fraîche and horseradish
- ½ horseradish root (you won’t need all of it but it is sold whole or in halves)
- 2tbsp red wine vinegar
- 250g crème fraîche
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°/ Gas 7. Place the fillet on a board and season it all over with sea salt and pepper.
Cut the leaves off the beetroots and discard any that look wilted or damaged. Wash in a colander, then put to one side. Scrub the beetroots free of any soil on their skins and rinse, then place in a shallow, ovenproof dish. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and add the garlic. Scatter the thyme leaves over the beetroots, season with salt and pepper and add about 25-30ml water. Cover tightly with silver foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil (being careful not to burn your hand in the steam) and cook uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until the water has evaporated and the skins have slightly caramelised in the oil.
Peel the horseradish and grate into a bowl – you will need about 4 heaped tablespoons. Add the vinegar so that it soaks into the horseradish and stir in the crème fraîche. Season with salt and pepper.
Blanch the beetroot leaves in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper to absorb any excess water.
Heat the grill or griddle until smoking hot. Sear the fillet on all sides until the meat easily comes away from the bottom of the pan – 4-5 minutes per side – then place on a board and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the fillet into the thinnest possible slices, pressing them out with the blade of your knife to flatten them further. It doesn’t matter if a few holes appear.
Season the beetroot leaves with a little salt and pepper and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Cut the beetroots into halves and divide between the plates. Add 3-4 slices of the fillet, a few of the tomatoes, and then the beetroot leaves laid through the other ingredients, so it all looks slightly topsy turvy. Spoon over the horseradish and crème fraîche and serve with lemon.
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