Steak with dirty martini salsa verde and sumac fries

Serves two

Ingredients:

2 eye fillet steaks

3 garlic cloves, whole

few sprigs of rosemary

4 tbsp butter, salted

salt and pepper

Dirty martini salsa verde:

2 tbsp green olives, chopped

1 tbsp capers

1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive brine

1 tbsp + 1 tsp vermouth, bianco

7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

zest of 1 lemon

squeeze of lemon

1 garlic clove, grated

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Sumac fries:

2 medium dutch cream potatoes, sliced thin into strips

200 ml neutral oil, like rice bran oil

heavy pinch of salt

1/4 tsp sumac

Method:

Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Leave out to come to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Prepare the dirty martini salsa verde by chopping the parsley and green olives. Grate the garlic and lemon zest. Add all ingredients to a bowl and taste for salt.

Wash, peel and slice potatoes into thin strips. Rinse with cold water twice and pat dry.

In a pre-heated pan over very high heat (the kind that you turn your vents on) add 1 tsp oil and sear the steaks, about 2-3 mins on each side. To get that perfect crispy sear, make sure not to pick up the steak and check the bottom. Just leave it for 2-3 mins before flipping to the other side. Once both sides are browned, lower heat to low, add butter, rosemary and garlic and spoon the butter over the steaks for another 2 mins. Remove the steak from the pan onto a plate and allow to rest for 10 mins before slicing into it. This method should get you medium-rare steaks. If you like it more well-done, baste it for a minute or two longer with butter, spooning it over the steak.

In a large cold pan, add sliced potatoes and oil. Make sure the potatoes are in a single layer and not too crowded. The oil should be covering the potatoes by half. Turn on the heat to medium-low. Occasionally stir to prevent from sticking to one another. Cook the potatoes for 10 mins or until golden crispy. In the last two minutes of cooking, turn the heat up to medium-high to really get that crispy exterior. Once golden, strain out the fries onto a paper-towel lined plate. Let cool for 1-2 mins, then add to a bowl and add seasonings immediately. Toss and enjoy straight away. They will “wilt” if not eaten fairly quickly.

Slice the steak into thin strips and plate with dirty martini salsa verde spooned over top, alongside crispy sumac fries.