Recipes: Beef Carpaccio, Banana pancakes

Beef Carpaccio

Ingredients:

500g fillet beef

Rapeseed oil

Sprig of thyme

Beetroot (cooked and peeled)

Micro basil

Method:

Roll fillet in cling film into a long tight cylinder and place in the freezer.

Meanwhile, infuse lemon juice and skins, except pith, and thyme in oil to a simmer and let cool. Once cool, pour in bottle, leaving infusing ingredients in.

Boil beetroot with skin on till cooked – check by using a knife much like a potato – drain off water, leave to cool then with gloves remove the skin, trim off ends and slice thinly on the mandolin or with a knife.

Remove the fillet from freezer and slice as fine as the beetroot on the slicer. Cover each slice with cling film so the meat doesn’t oxidize and turn grey.

On the plate, arrange beef, beetroot, beef and so on then drizzle lemon oil over the meat. Let it come to room temperature, garnish with micro basil, or just normal basil finely sliced, and serve with a little crushed sea salt.

Banana pancakes

Ingredients:

680g soft flour

2 tsp salt

150g sugar

1tbsp baking powder

1500ml milk

6 eggs

85g butter

3 bananas (blended)

Method:

Sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Whisk together the milk, eggs and some of the melted butter. Add the wet ingredients plus the blended banana to the dry, lightly whisk till combined and add the remaining butter.

Leave to stand for an hour then strain. Pour the batter into a hot pan lightly brushed with butter and cook on one side till bubbles form on the side facing you. Flip and cook for another four minutes or until golden on the bottom side.

Stack on a plate with some crispy sweet cured bacon and pour a generous amount of maple syrup over the top.

Stilton hollandaise

Yields 4-6

Ingredients:

3 shallots (peeled and diced)

100ml white wine vinegar

Peppercorns whole

250g clarified butter

4 egg yolks

1 tsp tarragon

150g Stilton (cubed with rind removed)

Salt

Green tobasco

Method:

In a pan, bring shallots, white wine vinegar, pepper and tarragon to the boil.

Remove from the heat and cool, place in a container and leave to infuse.

Place a bowl over gently simmering water, add the yolks, vinegar reduction and a touch of water,

Whisk together till pale and trebled, gradually add the butter till thick, taste and season with salt and tobasco. Crumble Stilton through the mix and keep covered in a warm place.

Serve with a good medium rare sirloin steak and dripping chips.

Jason Wright is head chef of newly-opened Steak Edinburgh at No 12 Picardy Place. Telephone [phone] or e-mail [email protected]