On the first Tuesday of every month we like to head down to Guildford High Street to marvel at all the delicious, locally produced foods and compile a recipe for you based on ingredients we have managed to buy- here’s our offering for the October Farmers Market.We try and support businesses by buying some tasty little treats and picking up fantastic fresh food to cook great meals for under £5 a person. Doing this shows that you don’t need to break the bank to eat healthy food that is locally grown, sourced, produced and manufactured.
Sometimes the simplest dishes can be the best and you really can’t get more minimalistic than the old British tradition of meat and veg; this month’s dish only has three main ingredients. To give this classic meal a twist, try homemade chips with some fresh potatoes instead of simply using some from your freezer- it takes a little longer, but they taste great and give you all the more satisfaction. I thought that some solitary rocket with a drizzle of balsamic would be the perfect, earthy accompaniment to a tasty sirloin, but obviously, any number of other vegetables could be added if so desired. Guildford Farmers Market is awash with stalls selling locally bottled sauces as well, so pick up a bottle of tomato ketchup or mustard like we did, or alternatively, garlic sauce or onion chutney compliment it well.
Ingredients:
2 large potatoes
2 fresh sirloin steaks
A bag of fresh rocket
Balsamic vinegar
Thyme
Parsley
A knob of butter
A large clove of garlic
A drizzle of olive oil
A pinch of salt & pepper
Cooking time: 35 mins
Serves: 2 people
Instructions:
- Wash the potatoes, cut the circular edges off the ends and then cut the remainder into a uniform chip size.
- Place the chips into a saucepan full of salted, cold water and bring to the boil. Once the water has come to the boil, drain and pat down with kitchen paper to remove any excess liquid.
- Put the parboiled chips into a bowl, drizzling a generous amount of olive oil all over, before adding some salt, pepper and thyme to season (thyme can quite easily be replaced with chilli powder, garlic or Worcester sauce for a slight variation on the flavouring of your chips).
- Place the chips on a baking tray and spread evenly before putting in a pre-heated oven around 200c for approximately 20 mins or until brown. Shake or turn half way through.
- Take your steaks out of the fridge 10 mins prior to cooking a leave to rest. Place in a frying pan and add a nob of butter to the pan. Shake some salt, pepper and parsley over the steaks for seasoning and grate a clove of garlic over as well.
- Pan fry the steaks on a high heat, two minutes on each side for medium-rare, a couple more minutes should be enough if you prefer them to be well cooked through.
- Serve the chips with a slotted spoon and plate up your steaks, adding a generous handful of fresh rocket, drizzled over with balsamic vinegar to finish. Add dipping condiments such as locally bottled tomato ketchup and mustard as pictured for extra flavour as desired.
James Martin