Steak Frites

Sumptuous tender steak with crispy French fries and a wine mushroom reduction sauce!

Here my friends is a recipe commonly found in the Brasseries of France where rump steak was commonly used. More typically today, an Entrecôte or a Rib Eye (which I always use) are pan-fried rare (“saignant” – literally bloody) in my pan reduction sauce. Top this with crispy home made French and Voila! A true French classic inspired for the special birthday of a good friend.

The Recipe!
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Serves 4

3 medium Maine, Idaho, Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, washed.
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Safflower oil
Fresh organic butter
4 large mushroms, sliced
1/3 cup of sweet red vermouth (use Noilly Prat from France)
4 one inch thick well-marbled (aged is far better) Rib Eye steaks

La Methode;
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French Fries;

Cut unpeeled potatoes lengthwise into thin slices, then into shoestrings.  Placing the potatoes in an ice water bath for a few minutes and drying them on paper towels helps to remove some of the starch so that they do not stick together as much, but not really necessary.The other reason is so that they don’t brown. But guess what? They turn a golden brown anyway when you fry them!!

Heat 1 1/2 – 2 inches of safflower oil in a deep 12 inch pan (a 12″ mineral/blue steel chef’s pan made by DeBuyer of France is best) over a medium fire (about 335 degrees). Place a few handfuls of potatoes a time in the oil, cooking for a few minutes. They will not be brown yet. Transfer to large plate lined with paper towels. Raise the heat a bit more to about 380 degrees and return the potatoes in a few batches to make them golden brown and crisp. Cook for about 3-4 minutes and transfer to large bowl lined with paper towels and season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place in a warm oven while steaks cook.

Steak Frites

The Steaks;

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Heat two tablespoons of oil and two of butter over a medium high fire (in a 12″ carbon steel or stainless pan).
Season steaks with sea salt and pepper on both sides and place 2 steaks in hot pan at a time, searing steaks about 3 minutes each side. Reduce heat a bit and cook additionally 3 minutes per side for a medium rare/rare. Let rest on a warm plate while cooking the other two steaks or use two pans at a time, cooking all 4 steaks together.
For reduction sauce, add Vermouth and mushrooms to pan, scraping the bottom of the pan and whisking over a medium-high heat until reduced a bit. Add one tablespoon of butter as you remove pan from heat, stirring the butter in to finish the sauce.
Spoon over resting steaks and pair with fries warm from the oven. Garnish with small sweet tomatoes……. C’est ci bon!!