Peppered steaks with blue cheese sauce and potato millefeuilles

Peppered sirloin steaks are taken to a new level with a lively blue cheese sauce. The potato millefeuille can be made ahead and reheated under the grill.

SERVES 2

2 sirloin steaks (about 220g each, trimmed weight)

30g black peppercorns, very roughly crushed

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

For the potato millefeuille

1 very large potato, peeled and washed

30g clarified butter, melted

3g chervil sprigs, snipped

30g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

5g flat-leaf parsley, snipped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the blue cheese sauce

30g butter

1 shallot (60g), finely chopped

100ml good-quality red wine vinegar

5g tarragon leaves, snipped, plus extra to garnish

100ml chicken stock (for home-made)

85ml double cream

60g Bleu des Causses or other crumbly, not too strong, blue cheese

For the potato millefeuille, thinly slice the potato lengthways into 2mm slices. Lay a double layer of cling film, about 40cm square, on your work surface. Dip a slice of potato in the clarified butter, place in the middle of the cling film and sprinkle with a little chervil and Parmesan. Dip a second potato slice in the butter and place on the first slice. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan. Continue layering in this way, adding a little salt and plenty of pepper to the layers, until all the potato slices are used and you have a stack. Bring the cling film up over the potato and wrap well to seal.

Place the millefeuille in a steamer and steam gently for 1½ hours, topping up the water as necessary. Lift out onto a plate. Let cool slightly, still wrapped, then lay a small board on the potato and put a 250–500g weight on top, to press the potato without crushing it. Once cooled, refrigerate, with the weight in position, for 2–3 hours.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat. Add the shallot and sweat for 1 minute, then pour in the wine vinegar and let bubble to reduce by half. Add the tarragon and stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cream and reduce until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season and keep warm. Preheat the grill.

To prepare the steaks, coat both sides with the crushed black pepper, pressing with the palm of your hand so that it sticks. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the steaks and cook over a high heat for 1 minute on each side for rare, 1½ minutes on each side for medium-rare (à point), or 3 minutes on each side for well done. Transfer the steaks to a wire rack to rest for 1 minute.

Unwrap the potato millefeuille and cut lengthways into 1cm thick slices. Place under the hot grill for 1–2 minutes. Place the steaks and sliced potato on warmed plates. Roughly crumble the blue cheese into the sauce, then spoon over half of each steak. Garnish with tarragon and serve at once, with the remaining sauce on the side.