Name: Pan-fried flank with shallot, mushroom and Madeira sauce
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 80 gm butter; 2 golden shallots, finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 400 gm king brown mushrooms, sliced; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 flank steak (900gm), cut into 4 steaks; 125 ml Madeira; To serve: red cabbage cress; Madeira sauce; 800 gm beef trimmings (see note); 1 small piece marrow bone; 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally; 4 thyme sprigs; 200 ml Madeira; Anna potatoes; 1 cup clarified butter; 1.2 kg royal blue potatoes, thinly sliced on a mandolin; 1 tsp thyme leaves

Pan-fried flank with shallot, mushroom and Madeira sauce

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for Pan-fried flank with shallot, mushroom and Madeira sauce

Serves 4

Prep

Cook

Total

The flank, also known as the bavette, is from part of the belly or skirt. You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.

Ingredients

80 gm butter

2 golden shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

400 gm king brown mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 flank steak (900gm), cut into 4 steaks

125 ml Madeira

To serve: red cabbage cress

Madeira sauce

800 gm beef trimmings (see note)

1 small piece marrow bone

1 head of garlic, halved horizontally

4 thyme sprigs

200 ml Madeira

Anna potatoes

1 cup clarified butter

1.2 kg royal blue potatoes, thinly sliced on a mandolin

1 tsp thyme leaves

Method

Main

1.For Madeira sauce, preheat oven to 250C. Combine trimmings, marrow and garlic in a roasting pan and roast until brown (30-40 minutes). Transfer to a saucepan with thyme, Madeira and 1 litre water. Bring to the simmer over medium heat, reduce heat to low-medium and cook until reduced by one-quarter (2 hours). Strain (discard solids), then refrigerate until chilled (overnight). Skim fat from surface (discard), then reduce stock over medium-high heat by three-quarters (20-30 minutes).

2.Meanwhile, for Anna potatoes, preheat oven to 200C. Heat 60ml clarified butter in a 20cm cast-iron frying pan over medium heat, reduce heat to low, then, working quickly, layer potato in pan in concentric circles covering the base and overlapping slightly, then repeat, layering in the opposite direction, scatter with thyme, brush with a little clarified butter, season to taste. Repeat with remaining potato, butter and thyme, pour over any remaining butter, transfer to oven and bake until starting to soften (15-20 minutes). Remove from oven and press down firmly with the base of a saucepan to compact, then return to oven and bake until edges start to turn golden (10-15 minutes). Press again, then cook until golden and tender and loose in the pan (10-15 minutes; see note). Press again, then set aside and keep warm.

3.Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over high heat, add butter, shallot and garlic, cook until butter is foamy and shallot is tender (4-5 minutes), add mushroom, stir occasionally until golden (4-6 minutes), season to taste and keep warm.

4.Heat oil in a separate large ovenproof frying pan over high heat until smoking, add steaks and sear until browned (1-2 minutes each side). Transfer to oven and roast until rare (5-6 minutes), then transfer to a warm plate to rest (5-10 minutes).

5.Deglaze pan with Madeira until almost evaporated, then add Madeira sauce and cook until reduced slightly (3-5 minutes). Strain through a fine sieve and serve over sliced flank and mushrooms, topped with cress, with Anna potatoes.

Note Ask your butcher for beef trimmings or beef off-cuts for a stock base. To check whether potato will turn out, run a knife around edges of pan, carefully tap on bench and shake – if it doesn’t loosen, return to oven to cook further.
Drink Suggestion: Peppery, cooler-climate syra. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes