Ingredients
Dressing
- 1½ tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) olive oil
- 4 tablespoons torn basil leaves
- 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) dry marsala
- 24 pitted prunes
- 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) piece of beef fillet, trimmed
- 90 ml (3 fl oz) olive oil
- 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) parsnips, peeled and cut into rounds 5 mm (¼ inch) thick
- 2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
- 100 g (3½ oz) thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1 radicchio, outer leaves discarded, leaves washed, dried and torn into pieces
- 150 g (5½ oz/1 bunch) rocket (arugula), trimmed, washed and dried
Method
1. To make the dressing, put the mustard, egg yolk and vinegar in a large bowl and whisk well. Whisking constantly, add the olive oil in a very slow, steady stream — the mixture should emulsify and thicken. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add the basil and stir to combine.
2. If the dressing is too thick (it should have the consistency of thick pouring cream), stir in a little hot water. Set aside.
3. Bring the marsala to the boil in a small saucepan. Add the prunes, remove from the heat and stir well. Cover and set aside until cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7). Using kitchen string, tie the beef at 5 cm (2 inch) intervals to form a neat shape. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, ovenproof frying pan, add the beef and cook over high heat for 3–4 minutes, turning to brown all over. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then transfer the pan to the oven and roast the beef for 17–20 minutes for medium–rare, or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Put the parsnip and onion in a large roasting tin, add the remaining olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, or until golden and tender, turning once. Drain well on paper towels, then leave to cool to room temperature.
6. Remove the string from the beef. Thinly slice the beef and place in a large bowl with the drained prunes, roasted vegetables, prosciutto, radicchio and rocket and toss well. Divide among six plates, drizzle with the dressing and serve.
