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February
2007
Recipe
Steak Marchand de Vin
One of
my first memories of a good French meal involves Steak Marchand de
Vin. Too late for lunch, I stopped one day at a bar where steak-frites
was the only choice. The proprietor took out his pan and fried up
fresh steaks as I watched, fascinated. After a quick sizzle on
each side, he transferred the meat to plates and went to work on
the sauce. In went a dusting of chopped shallots and garlic, and
then came the wine, poured from an open, unlabelled bottle. But we
were in Burgundy, and that bottle had a pedigree. Before my eyes
the wine was boiled almost to a glaze to concentrate and mellow
the flavor – the key step, I discovered, when I went home and
tried it myself. Fresh herbs and cubes of cold butter, swirled in
the warm sauce until melted, completed the dish.
Serves 4
4
individual steaks, cut 2cm/¾in thick, such as fillet, T-bone,
French ‘entrecôte’ (rib)
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salt
and pepper
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3
tablespoons vegetable oil
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2
shallots, chopped
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2
garlic cloves, chopped
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300ml/½ pint/1¼ cups red wine
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2
tablespoons chopped parsley
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1
tablespoon chopped chives
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1
tablespoon chopped tarragon or basil
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2
tablespoons cold butter, cut in pieces
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Season
the steaks on both sides with pepper and a very small pinch of
salt. Heat half the oil in a heavy frying pan, add the steaks
and fry over a high heat for about 2 minutes, until brown. Turn
the steaks, lower the heat to medium, and continue cooking for
2-5 minutes, depending on their thickness and how well you like
them done. To test the cooking of a steak, press the meat in the
center with your finger (don’t worry, it won’t burn you). If
soft, the steak is rare, if slightly resistant, the meat will be
medium, and if firm it is well done (and likely to be dry).
Remove the steaks to a dish, cover with foil and keep warm.
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Heat
the remaining oil in the pan, add the shallots and the garlic
and fry, stirring for 1-2 minutes until they begin to brown.
Pour in the wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring and
scraping to dissolve the pan juices, until the wine is reduced
almost to a glaze. Stir in the parsley, chives, tarragon or
basil and any juices that have run from the meat. Take the pan
off the heat. Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time so that
it softens and thickens the sauce without melting to oil. Taste
and adjust the seasoning, spoon the sauce over the steaks and
serve at once.
On
the Side: We must have some chips/French fries, cut skinny
the way the French like them, and add a green salad if you like.
In
the Glass: Pour your favorite red wine, bearing in mind
that one glass for a prime steak will probably not be enough. If
you are planning on something simple, by all means use the same
wine when you make sauce, but if this is a special bottle, keep it
strictly for drinking. The nuances of a fine vintage will be lost
as soon as the wine is heated.
Sidebar
Variations on Steak Marchand de Vin: Steak Marchand de Vin is a
basic recipe that is wonderfully easy to vary.
Mediterranean Steak Marchand de Vin: Omit the chives and tarragon
and use flatleaf instead of curly parsley. Double the amount of
garlic and add a finely chopped anchovy fillet with the red wine.
Steak
Dijonnaise: Substitute white wine, preferably Chardonnay, for the
red wine. After adding the herbs, take the pan from the heat and
whisk in 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 150ml/5fl oz/2/3 cup heavy
cream. Bring the sauce just back to a boil, take off the heat and
whisk in the butter. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more
mustard if you like.
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