Steak Frites

It's Friday night and that often entails something very simple to make for dinner. It's been a long week and the idea is to get in and out of the kitchen as quick as possible. Simple and fast meals means exactly that. It doesn't mean you have to skimp on flavour to get those results.

As a matter of fact, sometimes when we go back to the basics and stick with fresh products and just a few simple but tasty ingredients it lets the food do that talking. When we have too much time we sometimes over think a dish and end up muddling the results by having too many flavours competing for the spotlight. You won't have to make that mistake with this meal.

I love Steak Frites because it's both simple to make and incredibly good to eat. Sometimes nothing is better than a juicy seared steak seasoned well with a plate of fries cooked until brown and crispy with a splash of olive oil and some fresh sea salt. A few really simple ingredients that enhance the flavour of the meat and potatoes and let the quality of the beef stand up and be heard. It takes a few minutes of prep work and a bit of waiting for the fries, but the end result is a sure-fire, can't-miss dinner that you'll be rushing to the table to eat!

There are a few keys to a great dinner of steak frites. The first is a great crispy french fry and it starts after cutting them. Once cut, allow them to sit in a bowl of cold water to remove the starch. I recommend letting it sit for at least an hour, but if you don't have the time 20 minutes should remove a good portion of the starch from the potatoes. This is the starting process and will allow the fry to get nice and crispy, a must if you want flavourful, tasty fries.

Soaking in cold water to release the starch

Tossed with a splash of olive oil and a generous amount of sea salt

The second is a great cut of meat only needs a good rub with salt & pepper to help bring out all those intense flavours and the juiciness from within. I like throwing the steaks in a pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and searing and browning all over. Depending on the thickness of the steak, 8-10 minutes should be the perfect time elapsed for a medium-rare steak. As far as I'm concerned there's no other way to cook a steak. Maybe that's just me. I'd rather a steak slightly undercooked to my liking than overcooked.

Rib Eye with salt & pepper

I like the steak right out of the pan with the small window to let them set up and the juices to redistribute. Also, I like tossing my potato fries with fresh cut parsley and a pinch grated Parmesan. It is so bloody good!

Rib Eye with fresh Potato Wedges

Cooked just like the way I like it

Try this meal on for size the next time you're thinking about dinner on a Friday night and you're in a pinch for time.