A hearty main course: bavette steak with mushrooms and a blanket of melted blue cheese, served on a creamy spinach risotto. The meat is seasoned with rosemary and thyme and goes briefly under the grill after searing, so the cheese melts and takes on a little colour. A dish for a quiet autumn or winter evening, ready in a little under an hour for two.
Bavette with blue cheese and risotto
Bavette with blue cheese and risotto
Method
01
Start the risotto
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan and cook the onion, celery and garlic over medium heat for 4 minutes until soft without colouring.
02
Toast the rice
Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains turn translucent. Pour in the wine and let it reduce almost completely.
03
Add the stock
Add the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring regularly. Wait until each ladle is absorbed before adding the next. This takes 18 to 20 minutes, and the rice should be al dente.
04
Fry the mushrooms
Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms over high heat for 4 minutes until browned. Season with pepper and set aside.
05
Sear the meat
Rub the bavette steaks with olive oil, rosemary and thyme. Sear them in the same pan for 2 to 3 minutes per side over high heat and switch on the oven grill.
06
Grill
Place the steaks on a baking tray, top with half the mushrooms and the blue cheese, and grill for 2 minutes until the cheese has melted. Rest the meat for 3 minutes.
07
Finish the risotto
Stir the Parmesan, cold butter and spinach into the risotto until the spinach wilts. Season with pepper and salt if needed.
08
Serve
Spoon the risotto onto plates, slice the bavette and arrange it on top with the remaining mushrooms.
Tips & notes
Blue cheese is salty. Taste the risotto only at the end and add salt then. If you prefer no alcohol, replace the wine with extra stock and a splash of lemon juice.
Chef's tip
Let the bavette rest for 3 minutes under foil after searing and grilling, and slice it across the grain into thin slices. This keeps the juices in and the meat tender, even when cooked medium.
Variations
- With gorgonzola: mild and creamy, a good choice if you find blue cheese too strong.
- With roquefort: sharper and saltier, so leave out any extra salt in the risotto.
- With wild mushrooms: use a mix of wild mushrooms instead of button mushrooms for more flavour.
Contains:
Milk
Celery
Sulphites
