Loin Of Beef With Watercress Puree

Serves: 3

Cecile Bahringer

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

54

Spice

46

Sweetness

53

Sourness

40

mins

Prep time (avg)

5.5

Difficulty

Ingredients:

3 tbsps

Olive Oil

1 tbsp

Butter

1 cup

Heavy Cream

Directions:

1

First, make the sauce

2

Put a pan of salted water on to boil

3

Push in all the watercress and boil for 5 minutes

4

Add the spinach and cook for another minute or so until wilted

5

Drain in a colander

6

Press with the back of a ladle to extract as much moisture as possible

7

Put the leaves in a food processor and blend to a fine puree, scraping down the sides occasionally

8

Pour 1/4 cup of the cream through the processor funnel and keep the blades whirling for what seems like an eternity

9

You will eventually get a sauce with a texture like silk

10

It will be so smooth, you will not need to pass it through a sieve

11

If you want a pouring sauce, add the remaining cream

12

Check the seasoning, and pour into a small saucepan for reheating

13

Cut the beef loin into 4 even steaks and rub each side using 1 tablespoon oil

14

Heat a heavy, non-stick frying pan until you can feel a good heat rising

15

Lay in your steaks-they should give a good hiss as they hit the hot pan

16

Season the tops and cook for about 3 minutes, then flip over and cook the other side for 2 minutes

17

Slip the butter into the pan at this stage and season the second side

18

Remove the steaks from the pan and leave to rest while you cook the mushrooms

19

Saute the mushrooms with the garlic in the remaining oil

20

Season and mix with the parsley

21

Reheat the watercress puree

22

Place the steaks on warmed plates (sliced first if you like), trickle any pan juices over, and spoon on the mushrooms

23

If your watercress puree is firm, shape it into quenelles

24

If it is a sauce, spoon some over the steaks and pass the rest separately

25

Serve whatever accompaniment you like to eat steak with

26

Fries are great, or why not try slices of really fresh baguette?