Pommes Pavé with Steak au Poivre

Ingredients

• 6 Russet potatoes (peeled and sliced paper-thin on a mandoline)
• 250 g Unsalted butter (melted and clarified)
• Salt (to taste for seasoning layers)
• 2 Beef steak (such as fillet or ribeye)
• 2 tbsp Black peppercorns (coarsely cracked)
• 2 tbsp Neutral oil (for frying)
• 0.5 cup Beef stock (for the sauce)
• 0.25 cup Heavy cream (for the sauce)
• 2 tbsp Cognac or Brandy (for deglazing)

Steps

1. 1

   Peel the potatoes and slice them extremely thin using a mandoline. Keep the slices submerged in a bowl of water if not using immediately, but pat them very dry before layering.

2. 2

   Line a rectangular terrine mold or loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the sides to fold over the top later.

3. 3

   Brush the bottom of the pan with clarified butter. Begin layering the potato slices one by one, brushing each layer with clarified butter and seasoning lightly with salt every few layers. Continue until all potatoes are used, aiming for approximately 100 layers.

4. 4

   Fold the parchment paper over the top. Cover the pan with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 60 to 90 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife.

5. 5

   Remove from the oven. Place a weight on top of the potatoes (such as another loaf pan with cans inside) to compress the layers. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours to set the structure.

6. 6

   Once chilled and set, remove the potato block from the mold and trim the edges to create a perfect rectangle. Slice into thick pavé blocks.

7. 7

   Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the potato blocks on all sides until deep golden brown and crispy. Set aside and keep warm.

8. 8

   Season the steaks generously with salt and press the cracked peppercorns into both sides of the meat.

9. 9

   In the same skillet (or a clean one), sear the steaks to your desired level of doneness. Remove the steaks from the pan to rest.

10. 10

    Deglaze the pan with cognac, scraping up the browned bits. Add the beef stock and reduce by half. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

11. 11

    Serve the crispy pommes pavé alongside the steak, drizzling the peppercorn sauce over the meat.

Notes

The 12-hour chilling time is essential for the starch to set the layers together; skipping this will cause the pavé to fall apart when frying. Clarified butter is preferred over whole butter to prevent the milk solids from burning during the long bake and subsequent frying.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• main
• French
• potato
• steak
• dinner
• fancy
• buttery