Steak Chips Food

STEAK & CHIPS

Steps:

• First make the butter: mash all the ingredients together with lots of cracked black pepper. Pat the butter flat between cling film (it'll chill quicker when thinner) and put in the fridge or freezer to harden.
• Cut the potatoes into neat chips, rinse under hot water, then dry on a tea towel. Place the chips in a deep saucepan (they should only come up a third of the way) and just cover with cold oil. Place the pan on a medium heat, bring the oil to a simmer and give the chips a stir with a wooden spoon. Increase the heat so the oil bubbles really quickly and fry the chips, stirring occasionally so they don't stick, until crisp and golden - the whole process will take 15-20 mins. When they are done, scoop out with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the griddle pan until smoking hot. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and rub with a little oil - how you cook your steak will depend on the cut you have chosen and its thickness. For a steak that's 2cm thick, cook it for 2 mins on each side for rare, adding 1 min more for every increasing degree of doneness. Just before lifting the steaks off the griddle, place half the butter on top of each. Serve the steaks with the chips, some mixed leaves and a tangy dressing.

STEAK & CHIPS FOR ONE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Toss the chips with 1 tsp oil and some seasoning. Tip onto a baking sheet and roast for 30 mins, turning halfway through. Mash the butter, mustard, capers and some seasoning together.
• When the chips are halfway through cooking, rub the remaining oil into the steak and season. Heat a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan on a high heat. Sear the steak for 2-4 mins on each side (2 for rare, 4 for well done) and leave to rest, covered, on a plate.
• Add the courgette to the steak pan and fry for 1 min, then add the tomatoes, and melt half the butter in the pan, spooning it over the veg. Transfer to the oven (if you don't have an ovenproof pan, transfer to a baking tray), and roast on the shelf under the chips for 10 mins.
• Serve the steak with the remaining butter on top and the veg and chips on the side.

STEAK & CHIPS PIE

Steps:

• Up to three days before, braise the steak. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat half the oil in a flameproof casserole pan and brown the steaks really well on either side, then set aside. Add the onions and carrots to the pan, drizzle over a little more oil, then cook over a low heat for 5 mins until coloured. Drizzle over the treacle or add the sugar, and scatter in the flour, stirring until you have a brown paste clinging to the vegetables. Tip the meat and any juices back into the pan and give it all a good stir. Pour over the wine and stock, season, tuck in the herbs and bring everything to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for about two hours, or until the meat is tender, then leave to cool and chill until needed. Can be prepared up to two days ahead and chilled.
• To make the pastry, roll out the block on a floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin and scatter over the thyme leaves and mushroom powder. Fold the pastry into quarters and chill until needed. Or, to give the pastry a more interesting finish, scatter over the thyme and mushroom powder when you roll the pastry out to line the dish, rolling over them firmly so they stick. Can be prepared a day ahead and chilled.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and put a baking sheet in the oven. Oil a 24-28cm pie dish or tin (ideally with a lip) and dust well with flour. Roll out the pastry to a thick-ish round that will easily line the pie dish with a slight overhang, then line the dish. Lift the steak out of the gravy, then spoon in the vegetables and a little of the gravy and lay the steaks over the top to form an overlapping layer (serve any leftover gravy alongside in a small jug for pouring over). Pile the chips over the meat. Trim the edges of the pastry and crimp the edge. Bake for 40 mins until the chips and pie crust are golden - cover the chips loosely with foil if they are browning too quickly. Scatter over some salt then serve straight from the dish with the leftover gravy (reheated), and the rest of that bottle of red wine.