Eye Fillet with Creamy Sauteed Leeks & Butter Beans

Okay, so by now, I've had a complete Jamie turnaround. At first I could not stand Jamie Oliver. The dishes i saw him cook on the television always seemed to be excessive. Things utilizing whole blobs of cheese per person and the like. It wasn't the unhealthy aspect of the food so much as, sure it looked presentable, but who would eat all that??

Since then, i've been converted. I've tried a couple of his dishes which have been fantastic, and i've revisted his early shows and built up an appreciation for his style of cooking. Though i still don't know about serving salads on chopping boards...

This beef is just to-die-for. What more can i say? Easily in the top 5 dishes i've ever cooked. If i got this in a chefs hat restaurant i would not bat an eye. It's that good, and so so so simple, so long as you understand the basics of cooking a steak:

• resting is king. Rest your meat for 1/2 the time you took to cook it
• Oil the meat, not the pan. If you oil the pan, it will just smoke everywhere. 
• Season! 
• If the steak is more than 2 inches thick, don't try to get it to medium on a griddle. Put that hunk in the oven! 

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 400gm eye fillet, cut into 2 2 1/2 inch steaks
• 1 can good quality butter beans, rinsed and drained
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large leek or 2 medium leeks
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp thyme
• 2/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cloves garlic

Method

Thinly slice the washed leek.

Heat a medium saucepan over low heat.
Add the butter, 1 tbsp oil, the leek, crushed garlic and thyme
Sweat for 20 minutes or until very soft

Add the wine and raise the heat to bring to the boil
Add the beans and enough water to just cover what's in the pot.
Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the beans are soft and creamy.

Stir in the parsley and sour cream.
Season the steaks and coat with the remaining oil
Bring an oven to about 170 degrees
Bring a oven proof  frying pan to very high heat.
Add the steaks and sear for 3 minutes on each side

Transfer the frying pan to the oven for 8 minutes for a medium steak
Remove from the oven and rest for 7 minutes
Slice the steaks into 4 thick slices

Put a pile of the creamed beans onto each plate

Top with the slices of steak
Enjoy