Summer food needn't be salad, salad and more salad. Why not go against the grain with a hearty dinner that teams creamy risotto with juicy fillet steak?

Published on Friday 26 June 2009 15:13

THIS is such a great meal. It's hearty yet summery and packed full of big flavours and contrasting textures. The softness of fillet steak with a sweet caramelised edge goes so well with the creamy risotto, and you'll find the fresh tarragon flavour singing on your palate with every mouthful. You could serve this meal without the red wine and port jus, but the extra silkiness complements the other textures and adds a rich sweetness.

The art of cooking the risotto is in getting the texture right. Constant stirring during the cooking process gives that characteristic rich creaminess and the slight bite you're after. Choosing your rice shouldn't be too tricky. Arborio is the most widely available risotto rice used outside Italy, and is fairly easy to master, with lots of starch for a creamy texture. Carnaroli, known as the king of rice, with very slightly longer grains and a drier finish, is my personal favourite. Vialone nano is a smaller, plumper grain with a more rounded edge. It is the most likely to overcook, but can also be used successfully for rice pudding. Whichever you choose, stay attentive to the risotto, check out the Critical Points, it should be delicious.

Grilled beef fillet with tarragon risotto and red wine and port jus

Serves four

For the steaks

4 160g fillet steaks, trimmed

sunflower oil

Maldon salt

freshly ground pepper

For the risotto

150g risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli or

vialone nano)

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

40g carrot, finely diced

40g celery, finely diced

25ml olive oil

60ml dry white wine

300-400ml hot chicken stock

handful frozen peas

1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, chopped (keep the stalks to add to the stock)

20g parmesan, finely grated

30g unsalted butter

few drops lemon juice

For the jus

2 shallots, finely chopped

240ml chicken and beef stock (make your own or buy a pot of each in the supermarket, mix and reduce by half)

200ml red wine

40ml port

sprig thyme

dash arrowroot

1 tsp redcurrant jelly

For the jus, place the shallots and thyme in a pan, add the wine, then reduce to a syrup. Pour in the stock and reduce again by a third. Thicken the sauce with a dash of arrowroot diluted in a little water.

The port should make it sweet enough, but the acidity will depend on the wine used. If it tastes harsh, add a tiny bit of redcurrant jelly. You are unlikely to need salt. You should end up with about 160ml of jus, that can be reheated when needed.

Next preheat the oven to 230C/350F/gas 8. Season the beef with salt and pepper and leave to stand while you heat a griddle pan. Roll the steaks in sunflower oil and touch one to the metal. If it sizzles, you are ready. Place the steaks on the griddle, keeping the heat high, and leave untouched for about 40 seconds. Turn them over and leave for another 40 seconds then transfer to a baking tray. You can leave the meat for several hours, finishing off in the oven at the last minute or if serving straight away, pop the tray into the hot oven.

How pink you like your steaks will determine how long to leave them in the oven. Test the core temperature with a meat thermometer – for rar

the centre of the steak should be cooked to 40C; medium-rare 46C; medium 55C and well done 65C. These temperatures will be reached in four to eight minutes, depending on your oven.

For the risotto, place a large, thick-bottomed pan onto a medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, chopped shallot and garlic. When the shallots are soft, add the rice, stirring constantly until it begins to ping and scream out for liquid. Take care not colour or burn the rice. This process can take up to 15 minutes, but being patient gives best results.

Tie the tarragon stalks together and add to the stock, then bring to a simmer. Add the white wine to the rice and season, then stir continuously until nearly all the wine is used and it looks creamy.

At this point, begin to add the hot stock, one small ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and incorporating each ladleful before adding another. After the first two ladles, throw in the carrots and celery, and stir. Adding them now means they don't colour. Before adding more stock, pop a lid on the risotto, remove from the heat and leave the rice to swell for a couple of minutes. Remove the lid, then stir and add more stock, one ladle at a time.

Constant stirring helps to release the starch in the rice, giving a very creamy risotto. When half of the stock has been added, tip in the frozen peas. It can take as long as 25 minutes to use all the stock. Keep tasting to ensure the rice is cooking but retaining a slight bite; you don't want rice pudding.

Two ladlefuls before the end, add the remaining stock plus the butter and again place the lid on, remove from the heat and leave for a few minutes to give the rice a final swelling. Place the pan back on the heat, take off the lid and beat in the now melted butter. Add the chopped tarragon, lemon juice and parmesan, stir and check the seasoning.

Serve the risotto on warm plates with the steaks on top and the reheated red wine and port jus drizzled around. Don't be tempted to put too much risotto on each plate – for every bite of meat, you need a bite of risotto.

Critical points

Use a square-sided pan for risotto rather than a curved pan, as there is a more even contact with the heat and you will stir it more effectively. A heatproof spatula is ideal for stirring, allowing you to scrapae right around the base of the pan.

After adding the wine, add the hot stock one ladle at a time (right, centre). Wait until the rice is fizzing in desperation for the next ladleful but take great care not to burn or colour the rice at this stage. Remember that the stock you are adding must be kept hot as you add it gradually and this whole process should take around 15 minutes to complete. Be patient as taking your time will produce the best results. The constant stirring releases the starch and gives the risotto a much better texture, while the butter at the end adds to the taste.

When the risotto is ready, part it with a spatula. It should leave a clean line on the plate before slowly closing up again. It shouldn't be sloppy or dry.