Polenta, that staple food from northern Italy, is put to imaginative use in this recipe for steak served with polenta chips. It comes from Jason Atherton’s cookery book Gourmet Food for a Fiver (pub. Quadrille, £14.99, photographs Yuki Sugiura) and appears here with permission. In the book, Jason Atherton says that the idea came to him while in Italy. The polenta chips are deliciously savoury, while the rocket and parsley pesto goes very well with the beef.
Steak and Polenta Chips with Rocket and Parsley Pesto– Recipe
Ingredients – Serves 4
- 800g beef frying steak, 1.5-2cm thick
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 20g butter
Polenta:
- 100g quick-cook polenta
- 20g butter
- 25g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 30g plain flour, to coat
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 40g Japanese panko breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Rocket and parsley pesto:
- 35g rocket leaves
- 35g flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 10g pine nuts, toasted
- 10g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 65ml olive oil
Spicy ketchup – to serve with the steak and polenta chips:
- 90g tomato ketchup
- 15ml red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 7 drops of Tabasco sauce
Method
- First, prepare the polenta. Bring 400ml well-salted water to the boil in a saucepan and add half of the butter. Pour in the polenta in a steady stream, whisking as you do so, then cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat, cover tightly and let cook in the residual heat for 15-20 minutes, until the polenta grains are soft and the consistency is quite stiff.
- Line a tray with cling film. Mix the rest of the butter and the Parmesan into the polenta, using a rubber spatula, then taste and add salt if needed. Spread the polenta evenly in the tray to a 1.5cm thickness. Chill for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, to make the pesto, grind the herbs, pine nuts, cheese and garlic together, using a pestle and mortar or small food processor, then slowly incorporate the olive oil while pounding or processing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- When ready to cook, cut the polenta into chips, about 7cm long and 1.5cm wide. Have the flour, egg and breadcrumbs ready in separate bowls.
- Cut the steak lengthways into 4 strips and season with salt. Heat a frying pan over a high heat and add the vegetable oil and butter. When hot, sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until browned and medium rare, basting with the pan juices as they cook. Let rest in a warm place for 8-10 minutes while you cook the chips.
- Heat the oil for deep-frying in a suitable deep, heavy pan until it resisters 200°C on a frying thermometer. Dredge the chips in the flour, then dip in the egg, and finally coat with breadcrumbs.
- Deep-fry them in batches (don’t overcrowd the pan) until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Drain on a wire rack.
To make the spicy ketchup:
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Use within 3 days.
To serve:
- Cut each steak strip in half and place on a serving board or plate. Stack the polenta chips alongside. Serve the pesto and spicy ketchup in pots for everyone to share.
Rebecca Ford - I'm a UK based freelance travel writer and photographer - and the country I most like to visit is Italy. That's not just because of the ...
