Ingredients
800g piece beef eye fillet
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
4 large flat mushrooms, stems trimmed
Horseradish butter
1 tbsp fresh horseradish (or good-quality jarred horseradish), finely grated
small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
3 tsp Dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
freshly ground white pepper
250g room-temperature salted butter, chopped
Lemon thyme oil
1/2 bunch lemon thyme leaves, picked,
finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
150ml extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C.
To make the horseradish butter, use a food processor to mix the horseradish, parsley, mustard, lemon juice and a pinch of white pepper for about 1 minute or until well combined. Add butter, and process a further 30 seconds or until just combined.
Roll butter mixture in sheets of baking paper into a log shape about 4 centimetres in diameter. Refrigerate until firm.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over high heat and add a splash of olive oil. Seal the beef fillet on all sides until browned. Cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until desired doneness. Allow to rest 10-15 minutes, before slicing.
• Use a meat thermometer to cook the beef: for rare, rest it at about 52°C. Make it 55°C for medium rare and 60°C for well done.
For the lemon thyme oil, combine all ingredients together in bowl. Season to taste.
In a non-stick pan, heat half of the lemon thyme oil and add the mushrooms, stem side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden. Turn over, and brush the insides of the mushrooms with the remaining lemon thyme oil and cook until the mushrooms are tender.
Serve beef sliced with a disc of the horseradish butter, and a grilled mushroom.
SOMETHING TO DRINK
Cabernet sauvignon
An older bottle would complement the mushrooms, but the beef's horseradish butter may dry out the fruit of a very delicate wine. Oakridge’s elegant 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($30), from Victoria’s Yarra Valley, is created using no new wood – enjoy the juicier, more fruit-derived tannins.
Photography by William Meppem. Styling by Hannah Meppem. Food preparation by Kirsten Jenkins.
