Recipe - Fillet of Beef cooked in a Herbed Salt Crust, served with Horseradish Mash, Sauteed Spinach and a Fresh Herb Dressing

Fillet of Beef cooked in a Herbed Salt Crust, served with Horseradish Mash, Sauteed Spinach and a Fresh Herb Dressing
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
400g middle cut beef fillet
1 tbsp mild olive oil, plus a little extra for greasing the tray
Freshly ground black pepperFOR THE HERB CRUST
3 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh sage
250g coarse sea salt
1 large free-range egg
75ml cold water
250g strong white bread or pasta flour
TO PREPARE THE ENTIRE DISH 1 Start by baking the potatoes. Make the herb dressing and set aside. 2 Prepare the herb crust, wrap beef and bake. Infuse the milk with horseradish.3 While the beef is resting, prepare the mash with the cooked potatoes. 4 Cook the spinach. 5 Remove the salt crust and cut the beef into two thick pieces.
TO SERVE1 Divide the spinach between two warmed plates and top each pile with a piece of fillet. 2 Add a large spoonful of potato to the dish, placing carefully next to the beef. 3 Spoon over a little of the herb dressing and serve.
METHOD
Mix the herbs together and put 2 tbsp aside. Sprinkle the remainder into a large bowl and stir in the salt, egg and water. Gradually add the flour, mixing with clean hands until a firm, elastic dough is formed. Cover with cling film and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Season the beef all over with ground black pepper but not salt. Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan and fry the beef for 3-4 minutes, turning regularly until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and roll in the reserved herbs until lightly coated; set aside.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to form a circle roughly 28cm in diameter and around 5mm thick. Place the beef in the centre of the circle and cut through the dough - at right angles - from each corner of the fillet. Remove the excess dough – you should have four pieces - leaving the beef sitting in the centre of a wide cross shape.
Bring the dough up and over the beef to fully enclose – pressing firmly with fingers to seal. Patch up any holes using the excess dough. Turn over, so most of the joins are on the underside, and place on a lightly oiled baking tray.5 Make a hole in the top with a skewer. Bake in the centre of the oven for 15-18 minutes for rare meat. Remove from the oven and leave to rest in the crust for 10-15 minutes.
6 Transfer the beef parcel carefully to a chopping board. Cut open the crust with a sharp knife and discard. Pat the beef with kitchen paper to remove any excess salt. Cut into two portions.
Recipe tips
Check the meat is cooked by inserting an electric temperature probe into the centre of the fillet – it should read around 55°C when the beef is cooked to rare. Increase the cooking time by 5 minutes for medium rare beef.
WARNING! DO NOT EAT THE SALT CRUST.
FOR THE FRESH HERB DRESSINGServes 4INGREDIENTS
¼ banana shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp miniature capers, drained and chopped
Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 tbsp chopped fresh chervil
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
8 tbsp olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepperMETHOD
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, season to taste and set aside to allow the flavours to develop.
Recipe tips
If you can’t find chervil, use 1 tbsp more chopped fresh parsley in its place.
This sauce will keep well for up to 24 hours in the fridge and goes brilliantly with all sorts of grilled or roasted meat and fish.
FOR THE HORSERADISH MASHED POTATOESServes 2INGREDIENTS
1kg floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper)
3 tbsp freshly grated horseradish
150ml semi-skimmed milk
75g unsalted butter, softened
Fine sea salt and ground white pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Sprinkle a baking tray with a layer of coarse sea salt and put the potatoes on top. Cook for about 1 hour until the skins are crisp and the potatoes tender. Put the grated horseradish and milk in a small pan and warm through gently. Remove from the heat and set aside for 15 minutes to allow the horseradish flavour to infuse the milk. Take the potatoes out of the oven and cool for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut in half and press – cut side down - through a sturdy sieve into a bowl. Discard the potato skins.
Warm the milk then strain into a jug. Gradually add to the potato puree, stirring well between each addition. Add the butter a little at a time and beat well until the potatoes are light and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Recipe tips
Choose potatoes of a similar size so they all cook at the same time.
Bake the potatoes on coarse sea salt or sea salt flakes to prevent them from sticking to the tray and to help ensure crispy skins. Test they are ready by inserting a skewer into the centre of a couple of potatoes – it should slide in easily.
You can eat the potato skins after baking if you like. Simply brush off the excess salt, drizzle with a little oil and return to the oven for a few minutes until golden. Serve warm with a soured cream and chive dip.
If you can’t get fresh horseradish root (try asking your greengrocer first – he or she may be able to order it for you), stir 1 tbsp grated horseradish from a jar or 3 tbsp creamed horseradish into the milk.
Use white pepper to season the potatoes as ground black pepper flecks will spoil the appearance of the mash.
For really smooth potatoes, pass through a clean, fine sieve one more time before serving.
If the potatoes become too cold to serve, simply warm in a saucepan with a little extra milk if necessary. Stir constantly as it is warmed.
FOR THE WILTED SPINACHServes 2INGREDIENTS
Knob of butter
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves, washed
Salt and freshly ground black pepperMETHOD
Melt the butter in a pan with the garlic then add the spinach, season and toss together for a few seconds until the spinach is softened and wilted. Drain the spinach on kitchen paper and discard the garlic. Recipe tips
Push the garlic into the prongs of a fork and use to stir the spinach if you like.
Do not allow the spinach to overcook and become soggy.