Pan-fried sirloin with simple Chianti Butter sauce and olive oil Mash

Often rewarding is a simple way of cooking and serving steak. This is one, need a little of the sauce just to drizzle over the top of the meat and the mashed potatoes. It's Great!

Serves 2

Put the potatoes into a large pan of salted water, bring to a boil and simmer untill soft and tender Drain them, and allow to set for 4 minutes to steam away any excess moisture. Return them to pan and mash them up, stirring in a large 1/4 cup of olive oil, The Parmesan and butter. Taste, season then transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place over a simmering pot of water to keep warm.

Heat a heavy frying pan, use one large enough to allow both steaks not to touch. Season and brush with olive oil. Using tongs, hold the fatty-edge of the stead down in the pan to render and color the fat. When fat is golden, fry for 8 minutes in total for medium-rare. Every minute turn them. Remove from the pan to allow steaks to rest.

Turn the heat down and add teaspoon of butter. Fry shallots and thyme for 4 minutes, add the wine and reduce by half. Pour in the resting juices from the meat, add the two teaspoons of butter and take the pan off the heat. Srir around to emulsify and make a really simple red wine sauce, Tase, season and plate with steak and olive-oil mashed patatoes with a scattering of watercress and a drixxle of good olive oil.

For the Olive-oil Mashed Potatoes,

14 oz potatoes, peeled and halved

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

small handful of freshly grated Parmasan cheese

teaspoon of butter

For the Steaks

2 x 7 oz sirloin steaks

preferably free=range or organic,

1 inch thick, fat scored

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

two teaspoons of butter

2 shallots or 1 small red onion, peeled and finely diced

a few sprigs of fresh thme, leaces picked

1 large wineglass of Chianti

a few sprigs of watercress

good-quality extra virgin olive oil