Steak & Triple Cooked Chips by Danny Kingston (FBC)

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 large rib-eye steaks
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 sticks (250g) unsalted butter
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 tbsp tarragon, finely chopped
4 large egg yokes
2 cups potatoes, skin on, sliced into 1/2 inch x 2 inch battonets (a.k.a. handcut chips or french fry shape)
1 quart (approx 1 liter) corn oil

Directions:
Chips
1. Parboil the potatoes cut into battonet (a.k.a. chip or french fry shape) in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Vary the amount of time according to the size of the potato battonets. Generally they will be ready once they begin to lose their rigidity.

2. Drain the batonnets and leave them to dry. While they are drying, place the corn oil over the heat, and bring the temperature up to 280°F (140°C).

3. Once the oil reaches temperature, fry the potato battonets for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they stop bubbling. Remove them from the oil, and place in a large bowl lined with paper towel.

4. Increase the temperature of the oil to 360°F (180°C), and return the battonet chips to the oil for a further 3 to 4 minutes, until they turn golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oil into another bowl lined with more paper towel and season generously with salt.

Béarnaise
1. Place the white wine vinegar in a pan, with the shallot and 2 tbsp of the tarragon, and boil until the mixture has reduced by half. Pass the liquid through a strainer, remove the pieces of shallot and tarragon, and put to one side. Be careful not to breathe in too deeply while the vinegar is boiling.

2. Clarify the butter, by placing in a pan over a low heat and gently melting the butter. You should see the white milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan. Once the butter is entirely melted, and the fat solids are resting at the bottom of the pan, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

3. Place a large heat-proof bowl over a pan of gently boiling water, and whisk together the vinegar and the egg yokes. Then very slowly add the clarified butter, (being careful not to allow any of the milk solids from the bottom to drip in) to the egg yokes and vinegar, whisking constantly. The béarnaise should thicken to the required consistency. Make sure that the sides of your mixing bowl are always cold enough to touch, so as not to scramble the eggs.

4. To finish, season with a little bit of salt and some freshly chopped tarragon.

Steaks
1. Start by removing the steaks from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking, so that they come up to room temperature.

2. Brush the steaks on both sides with a little bit of oil, and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Heat up the griddle or frying pan so that it is smoking hot.

4. Fry the steaks on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak, and how well done you would like it cooked.

5. Allow the steaks to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

6. To serve, plate your steak and spoon over with some of the béarnaise sauce, leaving plenty of extra on the side for dipping. Place a generous portion of your chips alongside and enjoy!