He may be one of Australia’s top actors, but Byran Brown is just a steak and chips kind of a guy. So when producing her first cookbook, how could his daughter Matilda, and partner Scott, not include a recipe for her dad’s favourite dish?
The Good Farm Cookbook by Scott Gooding and Matilda Brown offers delicious home farm recipes that will appeal to all tastes. And below, we bring you, drum roll.. Bryan’s fave Steak And Chips With Black Olive Butter recipe.
Scott explains:
“It’s slightly intimidating cooking for your father-in-law, but Bryan is a no-fuss kind of bloke – so it’s not surprising this is his favourite meal. You can use the steak of your choice, but my favourites are scotch or rump due to their fat content, as this is where the flavour is. Grass-finished beef tends to have less marbling and fat coverage and has a yellow tinge to it.”
SERVES 2
Ingredients
400 g (14 oz) floury potatoes, such as russet, peeled, rinsed and cut into 1.5 cm (5/8 inch) batons
100 ml (31/2 fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon extra for cooking the steak
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 steaks (eye fillet, scotch fillet, T-bone and rump are excellent choices)
2 tablespoons Black Olive Butter
Method
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and drop in the potatoes. Return to the boil before reducing the heat to a steady simmer for 12 minutes. Drain, and lightly toss them in the colander to ‘rough up’ the surface of the potato. Place in a container (uncovered) and freeze for 1–2 hours. Once the potatoes have chilled, preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Place the olive oil in a baking dish with the dried rosemary and put in the oven for 5 minutes before adding the potatoes. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until golden, turning a few times to ensure the chips are evenly crisp. Remove the steaks from the fridge and set aside. With about 10 minutes left on the chips, place a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Season both sides of the steaks. Add the extra olive oil to the pan and, once hot, add the steaks. If your steak is about 2 cm (3/4 in) thick, cook them for around 3 minutes on each side for medium rare (adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the steak and how you like it cooked). Don’t move the steaks for the first 3 minutes – this will create a lovely caramelised crust. Once this has developed, turn them over. With 1 minute remaining on the steaks, add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan and baste the steaks with it. Once cooked to your liking, remove the steaks from the pan and rest for 2–3 minutes. Remove the chips from the oven and season. Place the steak on a serving plate and top with the remaining butter. Serve with the chips and a green salad, if you like.
Black Olive Butter
MAKES 175 G (6 OZ)
Ingredients
150 g (51/2 oz) salted butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled
50 g (13/4 oz) black olives, pitted
2 anchovy fillets
1/4 bunch fresh parsley
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz for 20 seconds or until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Images and text from The Good Farm Cookbook by Scott Gooding and Matilda Brown, photography by Cath Muscat. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.
