Fillet of Beef with Horseradish Sauce
Photography Manja Wachsmuth.
A classic combination, this tender cut of beef with horseradish makes a very impressive centrepiece and is the perfect main course for a gathering of family and friends on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve.
Serves: 10
INGREDIENTS
1½–2 kilogram-piece eye fillet of beef, trimmed and tied
olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, for spreading
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1½ tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
sea salt and ground pepper
Horseradish sauce
½ cup cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons horseradish sauce
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
To serve
Anchovy and Lemon Butter, see recipe below
watercress, to garnish
Anchovy and Lemon Butter
100 grams butter, at room temperature
4–6 good-quality anchovies, very finely chopped
finely grated zest 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
sea salt and ground pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 220°C fan bake.
Brush the fillet with oil and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a large sauté pan or grill plate and when very hot, sear the beef on all sides. This should take about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool. Combine the mustard, garlic and rosemary and spread over the fillet.
Place on a lipped baking tray and roast for 20 minutes for medium-rare beef. Allow to rest, lightly covered with a piece of baking paper and a tea towel for 15 minutes before carving.
Horseradish sauce: Whisk the cream, mustard and horseradish sauce together to soft peaks. Add the vinegar and season well.
To serve: Transfer to a platter and, if serving with the butter, smear a little over the top of the fillet, serving the rest separately.
Anchovy and Lemon Butter
Place all the ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and combine well.
If making ahead, cover and chill. For serving, remove from the fridge and serve at room temperature.
Cook's Note: Fold the tapered end of the fillet under itself, then tie in sections with cooking string to form a neat log. This helps the fillet to cook evenly.
We served ours with a salad of watercress and thinly sliced pears tossed with a little vinaigrette.
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.