Simple but effective. The best mashed potato in the world.

Last night was like couples night in my little apartment. Well, that and a bit of a school re-union. Oh and a farewell of sorts...

I had four girls from school – Katy (who’s heading overseas shortly – hence the farewell), Jen, Kate and Meals. And they came with their hunky better halves – Nick, James, Oli and me! Meals and I make a very handsome couple...

As a Sunday night dinner for eight, the day after I’d been at a wedding, I wanted to keep things simple, so I went for the most obvious simple choice – steak and mash!

Pan-Fried Sirloin Steak with Simple Chianti Butter Sauce & Olive Oil Mash
Slow-Cooked Leek Soldiers with Bacon
Eton Mess

The first thing was getting the leeks in the oven. On a finely sliced and sautéed bed of the green tips of the leeks, I sat upright leek soldiers, tightly huddled in together, poured over a glass of white wine and some chicken stock, then covered with a lid of bacon rashers. Then covered with wet baking paper and a sheet of foil and into the oven for an hour. For the last 15 minutes, I removed the foil and paper, so the bacon could crisp up.





Next was the potatoes – I got them on the boil and once they were well and truly soft, I mashed them up with an unsightly amount of butter, olive oil and parmesan cheese. I can’t say for sure how much butter was in there – how does one quadruple a knob anyway?

Then came the steaks (by this point the gang had arrived and were chatting away over a glass or two of vino). Tender scotch fillet steaks, rubbed with oil and seasoned with S&P, pan friend quickly on both sides in a very hot pan, then left to rest. Straight into the vacated steak pan, went finely diced red onion, butter and some fresh thyme. I then added a good slug of Aussie merlot (not quite Chianti, but a close substitute!) and let the onion sauce reduce.

Then came the plating up, which drew a crowd in the kitchen as Meals and I figured out that if we entered My Restaurant Rules, we’d be the perfect team, coz she is a gun at the presentation, which I am not! The plating up is my absolute downfall. I just pile it all on!

Anyway, on a pile of mash (ha!), I placed the sliced steak with the onion red wine sauce on top, served with peas and slow-cooked leeks on the side. The crispy bacon was chopped and sprinkled on top.

It was absolutely divine. The best steak and mash I’ve ever had. And probably the simplest meal I’ve ever served up at a dinner party. But SO tasty.

I’d done a small amount of prep work for the dessert, by making the meringue a few days early. I crushed them up and sprinkled them as the bottom layer in individual ramekins. The next layer was the cream – whipped with the seeds from the vanilla pod and a tablespoon of sugar. Then the strawberries – sliced then bashed and mashed in a bowl with some sugar and balsamic vinegar.

I’ve made Eton Mess many times before and pride myself on being able to shake it up a bit and really make it my own, but this was by far the best Eton Mess I’ve ever eaten and I will no longer shake things up and boast about my creativity, I will simple make Jamie’s Eton Mess over and over again.

Xx

PS – loads of farewell hugs and love to Katy and Nick for their big move to the UK.

PPS – It really was the best mash I’ve ever eaten. Even today when I had leftovers for lunch, you could just feel your arteries hardening. And you got the little cheesy stingy bits from the parmesan. Yum.