Serves: 4
1 thick sirloin steak or 2 x 350 g sirloin steaks
salt and freshly-ground pepper
10 ml oil
30 g butter
Béarnaise Sauce
Reduction
100 ml white wine
100 ml white wine vinegar
20 g shallots, finely chopped
salt
5 g peppercorns, crushed
1/2 bunch tarragon, finely chopped
1/2 bunch chervil, finely chopped
3 egg yolks
50 ml water
180 g butter, clarified or cold butter, cut into cubes
Pont-Neuf French fries
1.2 kg large potatoes, peeled and cut into rectangles, 1 cm x 1 cm x 6 to 8 cm
3 liters oil
salt
Decoration
1/4 bunch tarragon
1 bunch watercress
Remove the steak from the refrigerator and allow to rest until at room temperature.
Béarnaise sauce: Prepare the reduction by placing the white wine, white wine vinegar, shallots, salt, peppercorns and half of the tarragon and chervil in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and reduce by two-thirds. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the egg yolks and water. Place over low heat and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens and develops volume. Remove from the heat, whisk in one-third of the butter. When completely incorporated, whisk in the remaining butter. Using a ladle, strain the sauce through a china cap sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in the remaining chervil and tarragon, and correct seasoning. Keep warm over a bain-marie until ready to serve.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Heat the grill pan. Season and oil the steak. Sear until the grill pan markings are clearly visible across the meat, then give it a quarter turn and sear again on the same side. Turn the sirloin over and repeat. This will create a professional “chargrilled” (quadrillage) effect. Lay the sirloin onto its fatty side and cook long enough to melt the fat. Remove from the grill and cook in the oven for approximately 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak. Remove from the oven and rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes
Pont-Neuf French fries: Heat the oil (the deep-fat fryer or pan should be no more than one-third full of oil) to 140°C. Blanch the Pont-Neuf French fries in the oil until soft enough to be easily pierced with a knife but not long enough for them to color. Drain on paper towels. Now heat the oil to 180°C. Return the Pont-Neuf French fries to the oil, cook until golden; drain on paper towels. Season.
To serve: Roll the steak in a small amount of melted butter to reheat and give them shine. Slice the steak and delicately fan out the pieces on a hot plate. Stack twelve French fries in a neat tower on the side of the plate. Fill a small ramekin with Béarnaise sauce, decorate with one sprig of tarragon and serve alongside. Add watercress.
Chef’s Tip: Béarnaise sauce can be kept warm over a bain-marie but not reheated as it will split.