About this recipe
Whilst working at the Duxton Hotel in Singapore a few years back, I was inspired by a French chef who used to make dish he called Coffee Beef. The dish does sound unusual, however my version using wattleseed is rather subtle compared to the over powering strong coffee aromas that his dish produced. I first did this dish whilst guest chef onboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner cruise ship in November 2006 and was the most popular main course for the evening.
Ingredients
4×250g (9 oz. each) beef tenderloin
20g (2 tablespoons) wattleseed ground
75ml (2½ oz.) macadamia nut oil
200g (7 oz.) English spinach
20g (2 tablespoons) butter
150g (5 oz.) sweet potato, cut julienne
50g (3 tablespoons) cornflour
100ml (½ cup) alpine pepper jus
30g (2 tablespoons) riberry confit
200g (7 oz.) paperbark smoked mashed potato
Cooking instruction
One day prior, combine in a blender the macadamia nut oil and ground wattleseed. Blend thoroughly for 3-4 minutes. Then in a bowl place the beef tenderloin and cover with the wattleseed oil mixture and marinate for at least 24 – 36 hours.
Remove the beef from the oil and allow to drain. Then seal the steak on a hot barbeque, grill or frying pan. Finish in a moderate oven till the require doneness.
In a sauce pan, add a little butter and sauté with English spinach, remove and set aside. Dust the sweet potato with cornflour and mix well. Deep fry till golden brown and dry on kitchen paper.
To serve, place the paperbark smoked mash on the plate, then sautéed English spinach. On top of the spinach place the beef tenderloin, garnish with 3-5 riberries, then top with crispy sweet potato. Drizzle alpine pepper jus around the edge of the dish to finish.