I am all about sauce.
I order food based on sauces and sides regularly (shh don't tell). It makes me feel like a bit of a heathen - especially at brunch. Hollandaise is a killer. One of my favourite and less guilty pleasures though has to be salsa verde. It's herby freshness makes you feel glowing inside and out without fail. So the other day after a long countryside lounging session, it seemed a good dish to base the rest of the meal around.
'Summer roast beef and the trimmings' was basically salsa verde with the trimmings for me, though also known as roast beef, anchovy brocoli, honey braised fennel, jerusalem artichokes and chips doused in salsa verde.
We were lucky enough to have use of a herb garden to pick the mint, basil and parsley that I used for the sauce and the artichokes were also fresh from the garden. Mmm. You don't have to have a herb garden to get great stuff but in London I'd advise going to local green grocers and picking out your herbs yourself. Waitrose is likely to charge well over the odds for very little and it's always nice having a bit of spare mint floating around waiting to become a mojito at this time of the year.
The Ingredients for the trimmings:
500g beef sirloin roasting joint
3 artichokes
1 fennel bulb
1 bunch tender stem brocoli
2 maris pipers
30g flour
3 anchovies
1 tbs honey
splash white wine
and for the salsa verde:
Large handful of fresh mint
Large handful of fresh basil
Middling handful of fresh parsley
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
3 anchovies
1 tbsp capers
2 cloves fresh garlic
salt
pepper
For the beef:
Heat the oven to 180 degrees, rub a little salt and olive oil into the top of your joint, place on a roasting dish and cook for 30 minutes per 500g. Remember to let your beef rest before carving - about 5 minutes should do. You can check how pink it is by using a carving (or just a regular) fork to see how much juice runs out. I like my beef very pink - a joint is perfect to cater to everyone's needs though, as people who prefer theirs medium can eat the outer.
For the artichokes:
Remember to soak your artichokes upside down in salted water for 1/2 hour before you cook to get rid of any nasty little bugs who have squirrelled themselves away deep into the leaves. Boil a large pot of water on the stove and place the artichokes in. You'll need a weight or a lid to ensure that they remain submerged as they're cooking. Cooking time varies dramatically by size and freshness so allow for 40 minutes but check after 20. They're ready when the leaves easily come away from the stem.
For the fennel:
Thinly slice your bulb then lightly fry in olive oil until browned. Add your splash of white wine and the honey, turn down to a very low simmer, put the lid on and leave for 10-15 minutes until softened through.
For the chips:
Heat a pan of oil in the oven as it warms to 200 degrees/ gas mark 5. Meanwhile slice your maris pipers this finely and roll in salted flour. Once the oil has been in there 15 minutes, remove and pour your chips in. Turn every 10 minutes three times, draining the oil after the second turn, then turn the oven off and leave them in there for another 10 to dry them out.
For the broccoli:
Boil your water in the base of your steamer whilst you finely chop your anchovies. Place your broccoli in the steamer dish with the anchovies. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon over the broccoli and leave it in the steamer with the lid on for 4-6 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your greens. Give the mixture a stir to get the melted anchovies coating your broccoli before removing.
For the salsa verde:
Chop, mix, stir...
Oh and serving suggestions: al fresco... preferably at sunset with a bottle of my favourite new Wolf Reisling: or more readily available old favourite: Dr. Loosen...
