Steak and Blue Cheese Sandwich

A great steak sandwich is often a hard thing to come by. Banish the uninspiring condiments and tough steak with this improved recipe for the ultimate steak sandwich.

Sirloin steak is paired with homemade Dijonnaise, a little blue cheese and caramelised onions. Best served with homemade, spiced oven wedges.

Steak and Blue Cheese Sandwich
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Dijonnaise: 1 Small Onion (Finely Chopped), 1/2 Garlic Clove (Crushed), 1tbsp Unsalted Butter, 300ml Single Cream, 2tbsp Dijon Mustard, 1tbsp Chopped Fresh Tarragon, 1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley, Pinch Grated Nutmeg, Sea Salt, Black Pepper

For the Wedges: 500-750g Maris Piper Potatoes (Cleaned and Wedged), 4tbsp Olive Oil, 2tsp Paprika, 2tsp Mild Chilli Powder, 2 1/2tsp Garlic Powder

For the Sandwich: 4 Sirloin Steaks, Bread for Four (Ciabatta or Country Loaf etc), 4 Large Onions (Thinly Sliced), 2tbsp Olive Oil, Watercress, Mild Blue Cheese, Sea Salt

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Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 190c. To make the wedges, par-boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water. Drain on kitchen towel. Mix the olive oil, paprika, chilli powder and garlic powder together in a large bowl. Add the wedges to the oil mixture and stir to coat well. Place on a baking tray and transfer to the oven for around 1 hour or until crisp and golden. When ready, keep warm and season with sea salt.

2) Meanwhile, make the Dijonnaise. Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter for around 10 minutes or until golden. Add the single cream and Dijon mustard and bring to a simmer. Reduce the mixture until thick. Take off the heat and add the tarragon and parsley and season to taste with nutmeg, sea salt and black pepper.

3) Caramelise the 4 sliced onions in the olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan for around 30 minutes or until golden and sticky.

4) Meanwhile, season the steaks and sear on a hot griddle until cooked to your liking. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.

5) Warm the bread and slice the steak. Spread a good amount of Dijonnaise on each portion of bread, top with the caramelised onions and a little crumbled blue cheese. Top with watercress. Serve the sandwiches with the homemade wedges.

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Enjoy!

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Chicken, Mushroom, Blue Cheese

Chicken stuffed and rolled with pancetta, parmesan and mushroom duxelle, served with blue cheese cream sauce.

A delicious and impressive supper, full of earthy flavour from the mushroom and blue cheese. Wrapping the chicken tightly in kitchen foil before baking ensures it retains its shape.

This dish is best served with roast parsnip and sauté potatoes.

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Chicken, Mushroom, Blue Cheese
Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Chicken with Mushroom Duxelle: 2 Chicken Breasts, 25g Unsalted Butter, 150g Wild Mushrooms (Very Finely Chopped), 1 Shallot (Finely Chopped), 1 Garlic Clove (Crushed), 50g Smoked Pancetta (Diced), 1/4tsp Grated Nutmeg, Small Handful Parsley (Chopped), 2tbsp Grated Parmesan, Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper

For the Blue Cheese Sauce: 100ml Single Cream, 50-75g Blue Cheese (To Taste), 1/2tsp Worcestershire Sauce, Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper

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Method:

1) Begin by making the duxelle. Heat a sauté pan over a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic, shallot and pancetta and fry for 5 minutes until the pancetta is crisp. Add the mushrooms and sweat for 10-15 minutes until the majority of the moisture has evaporated from the pan – stir frequently. Add the parsley and nutmeg and season with sea salt and black pepper. Set aside to cool.

2) Pre-heat the oven to 200c. Place each chicken breast under some plastic wrap and bash out with a rolling pin or mallet until around 3-5mm thick. Season each breast with sea salt and black pepper. Divide the duxelle mixture in half and spread each half over the inside of the chicken breast – covering entirely. Sprinkle 1tbsp grated parmesan over the duxelle.

3) Roll the chicken breasts up tightly and place each in a large square of kitchen foil. Roll the kitchen foil tightly around the chicken and twist both ends until tight. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes until cooked through.

4) Meanwhile, heat the cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Crumble the blue cheese into the cream and simmer for 3-5 minutes until thickened slightly. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season with sea salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and keep warm.

5) Once cooked, remove the chicken breast from the foil. Slice in half and serve with the blue cheese sauce and accompaniments.

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Enjoy!

Blue Cheese and Pear Tart

 
This is a variation of my Goats Cheese Tart. Increasing the amount of blue cheese, cutting back a little on the goats cheese and giving it a good drizzle of heather honey makes for a deliciously rich tart – perfect for the weekend.

Caramelised white onions impart all the sweetness of red onions but without the richness whilst a good amount of fresh thyme and black pepper makes this tart beautifully aromatic.

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Blue Cheese and Pear Tart
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
300g Ready Rolled Puff Pastry
4 White Onions (Sliced)
25g Unsalted Butter
50g Mild Goats Cheese
200g Blue Cheese
1 Ripe Pear (Thinly Sliced)
Small Handful Thyme Sprigs
Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Heather Honey
1 Egg Yolk (Beaten)

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Method:

1) Make the caramelised onions: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for around 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until caramelised.

2) Pre-heat the oven to 210C. Lay the pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet. Score a line 1cm from the edge of the pastry all of the way around – being careful not break through the pastry. Prick the pastry inside of the line with a fork.

3) Spread the caramelised onions evenly over the base inside the scored line. Crumble the goats cheese and Stilton evenly over the onions. Top with the sliced pear and thyme and season generously with black pepper. Egg wash the outside of the pastry around the filling. Place in the oven and cook for around 20 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and the cheese browned.

4) Just before serving, drizzle the honey over the tart and cut into equal slices.

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Enjoy!