This is a fun dish which combines some of my favourite flavours. The purée provides an earthy base layer, on top of which the fattiness of the steak sits and is cut through by the pickled mushrooms. I used rib-eye, but any other cut would work. One thing I’d do differently (and it’s accounted for in the recipe): make sure the sauce is emulsified properly! It’s a bit split here, and that could easily be solved by whisking in a cornflour slurry.

Serves 3

Ingredients

• 450g small mushrooms, washed and quartered
• 60g vinegar (tarragon > white wine)
• 5g sugar
• 650g very-thick-cut (4cm) steak
• 15 shallots, tailed and halved
• 60g butter
• 600ml beef stock
• 1 leaf gelatine
• 170g blue cheese
• 50g green beans
• Dash of EVOO
• 0.2g xanthan gum
• 50ml port
• Parsley, finely minced, to garnish

Method

1. Make the pickled mushrooms: cover mushrooms in 50g boiling water, then add vinegar, sugar and 3g salt and leave to pickle for at least 1 hour
2. If a tender cut (rib-eye, sirloin etc), cook steaks sous-vide at 56°C for at least an hour, otherwise cook to appropriate temperature
3. Preheat oven to 180°C
4. Put 100g blue cheese in freezer for 30 mins
5. Fry shallots in butter in ovenproof pan over medium heat, cut end down, basting with butter until bottom is well-browned, then add stock with gelatine dissolved into it, cover with tin foil and roast for 30 mins
6. Add 50ml water, 30g butter and remaining 70g blue cheese to mushrooms, bring to boil then simmer, covered, until nearly all the water has evaporated (about 15 mins)
7. Blanch green beans in well-salted, boiling water for a minute before immediately shocking in cold water
8. Slice green beans into 2cm lengths and reserve
9. When simmering mushrooms are cooked, blend to purée and pass
10. When onions are roasted, remove from pan and separate layers, leaving any remaining roasting liquid in the pan, and reduce oven to 175°C
11. When blue cheese has been in freezer for 30 mins, remove and finely grate into 4 discs, even and flat, about 7cm in diameter, on silpat-lined baking sheet; it should not be too gappy
12. Bake cheese discs in oven until lacy and golden brown (about 10 mins; check each 2 mins thereafter) then remove from oven and leave to cool
13. Remove mushrooms from brine and toss with green beans, a little olive oil and salt to taste
14. Remove steak from bags, dry with paper towels, refrigerate (uncovered) for 10 mins, begin to preheat searing pan and add bag liquid to onion roasting pan
15. Reduce liquid in pan along with port, add xanthan gum, add stock if too dry or whisk in cornflour slurry if splitting, season to taste and reserve
16. Finish steak in screaming hot pan and slice, discarding ends to produce 3 slices per portion
17. Spoon purée onto warmed plates, arrange steak on top, place separated shallot layers around (concave side up), add jus into shallot layers and glaze over top of steak pieces, top steak with pickled mushrooms and beans, drizzle steak around plate and garnish with Stilton crisp and parsley