Rib-eye steak with béarnaise sauce

Rib-eye steak with a rich and creamy béarnaise sauce is a classic treat for a Saturday night that’s also perfect for Valentine’s Day. The potatoes are much easier to cook at home than chips, but every bit as delicious!

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 rib-eye steaks
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the béarnaise sauce

250g/9oz butter
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 shallots, sliced
1 large bunch tarragon, stalks and leaves separated and chopped
few peppercorns
2 free-range egg yolks
1 lemon, juice only

For the rosemary potatoes

500g/1lb 2oz floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm/1in cubes
6 tbsp olive oil
3 bulbs garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves separated

For the watercress salad

1 bunch watercress
1 banana shallot, sliced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp olive oil

Method

To make the potatoes, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and parboil the potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the garlic and rosemary, then add the parboiled potatoes and fry for 6–8 minutes or until golden-brown. Keep warm.
To make the béarnaise sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat.
Heat the vinegar, shallots, tarragon stalks and peppercorns in a separate saucepan and cook until you have 1 tablespoon of liquid left. Strain through a sieve.
Blend the egg yolks in a food processor with the vinegar reduction and gradually add the melted butter in a thin steam while the motor is running. Stir in the lemon juice and chopped tarragon leaves and set aside.
To make the rib-eye steak, season the steaks with salt and pepper and rub with the olive oil. Heat a large frying pan or griddle until hot and cook the steaks for 4 minutes on each side for medium (2 minutes each side for rare, 3 minutes for medium-rare, 5 minutes for well done, depending on how thick your steaks are). Allow to rest while you make the salad.
To make the salad, place the watercress and shallots in a large bowl. Mix the vinegar, mustard and oil together and dress the salad just before serving.
To serve, slice the steaks and place on a serving board. Serve with the potatoes, béarnaise and salad on the side.