Steak baguette and shoestring fries recipe

Prepare: less than 30 mins
Cook: 10 to 30 mins
Serve: Serves 2

This steak baguette is loaded with mustard mayonnaise, caramelised onions, melted cheese and cornichons, with crisp shoestring fries and a creamy peppercorn dipping sauce on the side.

By Matt Tebbutt

From Saturday Kitchen

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Ingredients

For the steak

300g/10½oz rib-eye steak
25g/1oz unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
a few thyme sprigs
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the mustard mayonnaise

4 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
splash Worcestershire sauce
½ lemon, juice only

For the shoestring fries

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
30g/1oz unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp chopped thyme
1 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dipping sauce

75ml/2½fl oz Worcestershire sauce
150ml/5fl oz double cream
2 tbsp green peppercorns in brine, crushed

To serve

1 crusty baguette (or ½ if it's very long)
100g/3½oz Gruyère, grated
2 tbsp caramelised onions, warmed
1 tsp chopped thyme
6 cornichons, sliced

Method

For the steak, heat a frying pan over a high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper, then cook for 2 minutes on each side.
Add the butter, garlic and thyme and baste the steak with the foaming butter. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
To make the mustard mayonnaise, mix the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, Worcestershire sauce and a squeeze of lemon in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
To make the shoestring fries, preheat the deep-fat fryer to 180C. CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
Rinse the potatoes in plenty of cold water to remove the excess starch, then drain and dry thoroughly.
Deep-fry the potatoes for 2 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove carefully and drain.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook until golden brown and nutty-smelling. Add the garlic, thyme and parsley.
Pour the butter into a bowl, add the fries and toss together. Season with salt and pepper.
To make the dipping sauce, put the Worcestershire sauce in a saucepan and simmer until reduced to about 50ml/1¾fl oz.
Add the double cream and green peppercorns. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat.
To serve, preheat the grill to high, cut the baguette in two then slice each piece lengthways and open them up. Mix the caramelised onions with the thyme.
Spread the inside of the baguette with the mustard mayonnaise then add the onions and steak. Sprinkle with the cheese and place under the grill for 1 minute. Finish with the cornichons.
Serve the steak baguette with the shoestring fries and peppercorn dipping sauce alongside.