My Favourite Animal is Steak

This is a take on Jamie's Fillet Steak with Creamy Leeks and Butter Beans. If you fancy pepping up your steak, this is a brilliant recipe. The sauce created when the meat juices, leeks and beans are combined  is really something to behold. It would work well with rib-eye or sirloin...but is especially wonderful with a nice piece of tender fillet. I aslo served it with wedges and a green salad. I'm a bit of a salad enthusiast and deem it a necessary element of most meals. If you don't agree, don't have the salad, but I will never understand you.

The raw elements of the dish:



The ingredients, for two:

2 200gm fillet steaks (or as big you want)
About 4 maris piper/ king edward potatoes
Salad (optional but advised)
A good couple of glugs of Olive Oil (EV)
Salt
Pepper
1 Lemon

For the Leeks and Beans:

1 Garlic Clove
2 leeks
1 tin of Butter Beans (or dried)
Knob of Butter (about 10 gms)
Big pinch of Thyme (fresh would be best)
Small handful of Parsley finely chopped
About a glass of White Wine
1 Tbs Creme Fraiche

Right, so if you want to do the wedges, start by pre-heating your oven to about 190, and chop your potatoes into eighths of roughly the same size to ensure even cooking. Put a roasting tray of a size that means the potatoes can be spread in one layer into the oven with a good glug of olive oil in it. Preheating the tray and the oil really helps to get the potatoes cooking.

Potatoes in, now get on with washing and finely slicing your leeks. Keep any off cuts if you think there's a chance they'll be handy in a stock etc in the next couple of days. Whatever you do with them, please refrain from putting them in the bin! Get a suitable pan on the go with the knob of butter and a little olive oil. Finely chop the garlic and thyme and add to the pan with the leeks. Sweat gently on a low heat for about 20 minutes, until the leeks are really soft. Check your potatoes and give them a jiggle. If you have wisely opted for a salad, now is its time.

Increase the heat and slosh in the white wine, allow it to boil and once it does, toss in the drained beans and a splash of water so the beans are almost covered with liquid. I would recommend getting your griddle pan, or thick frying pan, or whatever best equipment you have for cooking your steak. I used a griddle on the hob, you want it super hot. Simmer for ten minutes to soften the beans and thicken the sauce slightly. Now you can add in the final bits; the parsley, creme fraiche, a glug of olive oil and season.

 

Time to cook your hunks of meat, season and brush with olive oil. I cooked mine, which were roughly an inch thick, for about 2 minutes on each side for rare, but it obviously depends on the thickness of your steak.

 When you're satisfied, pop them on a plate to rest for five minutes, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and slice thickly. Spoon the leeks and beans onto hot plates and lay the steak over the top. Pour over some of the resting juices and you're done!