Pan-fried Beef Fillet with Fried Quail Egg and Foie Gras Butter with Truffle
Ingredients:
Foie Gras (Goose Or Duck Liver) – 350 grams (12 Oz)
Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature) – 50 grams (2 Oz)
Black Truffle Shaving – 25 grams (1 Oz)
Olive Oil – 4 tbsp
Beef Fillet Steaks – 4 x 175grams (6 Oz)
Quail Eggs – 8
Method:
- Trim the foie gras – you will need about 25g (1 oz) to flavour the butter, then cut the rest into four even-sized slices. Place the foie gras trimmings in a bowl with the butter and half the truffle shavings. Mix until well combined, then make into a cylinder shape that is about 5cm long before rolling in the remaining truffle shavings. Place on a small plate, cover loosely with cling film and chill until ready to use.
- Heat a heavy based frying pan until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and then add the steaks. Cook gently for a couple of minutes on each side (a bit longer if you don’t like your meat so rare) Remove from the heat and leave to rest in a warm place for a few minutes.
- Heat a large separate frying pan. Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil and carefully break in the quail eggs. Cook for 30 seconds or so, basting with the olive oil as you go. Season to taste.
- Heat a heavy based frying pan until very hot. Season the slices of foie gras. Add to the pan and sear for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side until just tender and caramelised.
- Remove the butter from the fridge and cut it into 4 even-sized discs. Place a steak in the middle of each warmed wide-rimmed bowl and place a disc of the foie gras butter on top. Garnish with the fried quail eggs and serve immediately with chips and green beans, if liked.
- Serves 4
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve 2013
A beautiful wine that is very typical of the vintage. A rich bouquet of dark berries and cedar-wood give way to full palate initially with waves of cassis and currants followed by more savoury back palate. The fine-grained tannin profile gives this wine great structure, yet without compromising Kleine Zalze’s signature elegance. A great example of Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon at its finest!