Polenta, rib-eye steak, three artichokes, and smoked yolks

by Paul Ainsworth
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servings4
4 hours

Ingredients

Steaks

  • 4 240g rib-eye steaks
  • 3 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 garlic clove, sliced
  • 50g of unsalted butter
  • salt
  • pepper

Crispy polenta

  • 1.5l chicken stock
  • 1 sprig of thyme, leaves picked
  • 400g of polenta
  • 100g of butter
  • salt
  • pepper

Jerusalem artichoke purée

  • 1000g of Jerusalem artichoke
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 5 banana shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 sprig of thyme, leaves picked
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 200ml of milk
  • salt
  • pepper

Jerusalem artichoke crisps

  • 3 Jerusalem artichokes
  • 1000ml of vegetable oil
  • salt
  • pepper

Globe artichokes

  • 10 baby globe artichokes
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 1000ml of water
  • 125ml of white wine vinegar
  • 125ml of olive oil
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 1g of coriander seeds, crushed
  • 6 white peppercorns

Girolles

  • 500g of girolles
  • salt
  • pepper

Smoked egg yolks

  • 170ml of olive oil
  • 1 drop of beech smoke extract
  • 6 large eggs

To plate

  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 50g of salted butter
  • 50g of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1
Marinate the steaks in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and garlic for at least 24 hours
  • 4 240g rib-eye steaks
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 garlic clove, sliced
  • 1 sprig of thyme
2
To make the polenta, bring the stock to the boil with the thyme. Pour in 370g of polenta, whisking all the while. It will thicken slowly. Make sure the polenta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan
  • 1.5l chicken stock
  • 370g of polenta
  • 1 sprig of thyme, leaves picked
3
Take the polenta off the heat and whisk in the butter. Adjust the seasoning. Pour into an oven tray so it forms a slab around 2cm thick. Chill to set
  • 100g of butter
4
When it is set cut the slab into strips 2cm wide, then into 2cm x 2cm dice. Dust in the remaining polenta
  • 30g of polenta
5
To make the Jerusalem artichoke purée, put aside two or three large artichokes for the crisps. Peel the rest, putting them into water with lemon juice to stop them from going brown
  • 1000g of Jerusalem artichoke
  • 2 lemons, juiced
6
Fry the shallots, thyme and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Slice the artichokes very thinly and add them to the pan, cover and cook gently until soft with no colour
  • 5 banana shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 sprig of thyme, leaves picked
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
7
Add the milk to the artichokes, and cook until the mixture is thick. Blend the mixture in a blender and pass through a fine strainer. Season, and set aside
  • 200ml of milk
  • salt
  • pepper
8
To make the globe artichokes, peel off the outer leaves, trim the tops around 3cm down from the tip of the artichoke
  • 10 baby globe artichokes
9
Peel down the stalks with a vegetable peeler, then turn the artichoke around and scoop out the leafy part of the choke. You should be left with a pale white flesh with a violet colour centre
10
Put straight into water with the lemon juice to stop browning
  • 2 lemons, juiced
11
Put the water, white wine vinegar, olive oil, shallots, coriander seeds and white peppercorns into a pan and bring to the boil
  • 1000ml of water
  • 125ml of white wine vinegar
  • 125ml of olive oil
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 1g of coriander seeds, crushed
  • 6 white peppercorns
12
Add the prepared artichokes and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Cool and halve. Set aside until needed
13
To make the Jerusalem artichoke crisps, peel and thinly slice the remaining Jerusalem artichokes. Heat the oil and deep fry at 180°C until golden in colour
  • 3 Jerusalem artichokes
  • 1000ml of vegetable oil
14
Drain well and place on a tray lined with paper towel. Season and leave in a warm place to dry out
15
To make the girolles, scrape down the stalks with a small knife and wash in a bowl of cold water. Drain well and leave to dry out
  • 500g of girolles
16
For the smoked egg yolks, mix the olive oil and beech smoke essence in a pan and heat to 65°C. Separate your eggs and gently lower the yolks into the oil. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes maintaining 65°C at all times
  • 1 drop of beech smoke extract
  • 170ml of olive oil
  • 4 large eggs
17
Shortly before the yolks are ready, scrape the marinade off the meat and season the meat well
18
Heat a pan on the stove, and lightly brush the steaks with olive oil. Cook in a hot dry pan until you have good colour all over. Add a little butter to the pan and cook the steak how you like them
  • 50g of unsalted butter
19
Pre-heat the oven to 200˚C/gas mark 6. For a rare finish, you do not need to cook the steak further in the oven. For a medium-rare steak, place in the preheated oven for 1 minute (increase this number by 2 minute increments for medium, medium-well and well-done finishes)
20
Whilst the steaks are resting, heat the oil in the deep fryer (using the same oil as for the Jerusalem artichokes) and fry the polenta for 2-3 minutes or until golden
21
Pan-fry the prepared globe artichokes in a little olive oil, and add a little butter. When this turns nut brown, add the girolle mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper
22
Cook these quickly and finish the pan with a little chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 50g of flat-leaf parsley
23
Warm the steaks back up under the grill
24
Warm the artichoke purée gently in a pan and spoon into a piping bag. Pipe onto the plates. Place the steak on top of the purée
25
Place a yolk (choose your best 4) on top of each steak and garnish around and over the meat with the mushrooms and artichokes
26
Place the crispy polenta around the meat and finish the dish with the artichoke crisps