It was our second wedding anniversary the other day. I didn’t forget it – I just didn’t get round to doing anything about it because I’d taken my sons to visit their granddad in Manchester. Hopefully I made up for it with this anniversary steak dinner which I made for my wife when I got back yesterday.
2 thick-cut fillet steaks, around 5cm thick
20g hazelnuts
1 slice of white bread
1 tsp mustard (English or Dijon)
1 tbsp olive oil
6 Charlotte new potatoes
20g blue cheese, such as Stilton or Roquefort
Bunch of asparagus spears, with the woody ends trimmed off
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. First make the hazelnut crust by putting the nuts, bread, mustard and oil in a food processor and whiz until to a coarsely-textured crumb.
2. Parboil the potatoes in boiling water until very tender, approx. 15 mins. Drain and leave to cool slightly. Using a very sharp knife and slice three-quarters of the way through each potato, making 4-5 cuts. Think toast rack! Push slices of the blue cheese into each slot. Put on a roasting tin and cook in a preheated oven at 180C/Gas 4 for 15-20 mins, until the potato skins crisp and the cheese has melted.
3. Oil the steaks, then in a large smoking hot frying pan, sear them for around 1 min each side. Transfer to a roasting tray, then press in a handful of the hazelnut mixture. Put in the oven for approx. 10-15 mins, depending on how well done you like your steak.
4. Meanwhile, steam the asparagus. Here’s a tip: Put some bunched up tin foil in one side of a small saucepan. Fill with water and only immerse the stalks, not the tips. This boils the stalks and steams the delicate tips so that they don’t become soft and floppy.
5. Serve the crusted steak with the potatoes and asparagus.
