Beef Fillet with Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 8 slices of beef fillet (3-4 cm thick)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 150 g butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 0.5 cup port wine
• 0.5 cup beef stock
• Salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 800 g mostly firm-cooking potatoes
• Salt
• 100 ml water (or milk)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 0.5 pinch ground coriander

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel the potatoes and cook them in salted water over medium heat for about 30 minutes until tender.

2. 2.

   Drain the potatoes, reserving a portion of the cooking liquid (100 ml; discard if using milk). Melt butter in 100 ml water or milk, stir in nutmeg and coriander. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher into a smooth purée, then fold in the seasoned hot butter‑water mixture. If desired, add some reserved potato cooking liquid for extra creaminess. Peel the garlic cloves, crush three of them and mix with wine vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, and plenty of pepper; rub this mixture onto the fillets.

3. 3.

   Sauté the remaining garlic clove and bay leaf in hot olive oil and 100 g butter for about 1 minute, then discard.

4. 4.

   Brown each fillet in the hot fat for 1 minute on both sides, reduce heat and cook an additional 2 minutes per side, seasoning with salt. The fillets should remain pink inside. Remove from the pan and keep warm at 80 °C covered.

5. 5.

   Pour off the fat from the pan, add the brown sugar and caramelize it. Deglaze with port wine and beef stock, reduce slightly, then stir in butter and thicken the sauce if needed.

6. 6.

   Plate the steaks over the mashed potatoes on warmed plates and drizzle with the sauce.