When it comes to food, the French make a big fuss over the quality of their menus. French restaurants are always a favoured choice for romantic celebrations if you are looking to splash out. 

Packed with flavour and aroma, classical French recipes are considered among the most exquisite and never fail to impress. Simply mentioning a French dish with perfect pronunciation is enough to raise eyebrows and give you a degree of suaveness, so perhaps it’s time that you added a classical French dish to your cooking arson. 

We have been educating you on the various cuts of beef in our most recent blogs, so it’s only fair that we provide you with a strong beef recipe to get you started. We have chosen a sirloin cut because it is easy to make, and cost-effective. The mere mention of roast beef sirloin with bearnaise dauphinoise will have your guests licking their lips and telling all their friends about your culinary skills. The creamy potatoes along with the juicy beef are a perfect delight guaranteed to impress. 

This dish serves 10 people. It requires 45 minutes of preparation and 1 hour & 35 minutes to cook. It is the perfect dish to share if you are hosting a dinner party or gathering. 

To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients: 

For the Beef: 

2kg of boneless beef sirloin (tied)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

½ a tables spoon of black peppercorns

½ a tablespoon of sea salt

1 large garlic bulb

450 grams of baby carrots, halved

200 grams of watercress

For the dressing

5 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of dijon mustard

½ teaspoon of caster sugar

For the dauphinoise 

40 grams of unsalted butter, and a little extra for the dish

3 banana shallots, finely chopped

70 ml of white wine vinegar

500 ml of double cream (you can use a non-dairy cream too)

500 ml of whole milk (you can use oat milk too)

3 large garlic cloves, bashed

Small bunch of tarragon, stalks reserved and leaves finely chopped

1 large egg yolk

1 ½ kg of potatoes (Cyprus potatoes or King Edwards), thinly sliced 

70 grams of gruyere swiss cheese 

The recipe 

Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Leave the beef at room temperature for 1 hr before cooking.

STEP 1

For the dauphinoise, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once foaming, add the shallots and a pinch of salt and fry for 10 mins or until softened. Add the vinegar and reduce it by half, then pour in the cream and milk. Tip in the garlic and tarragon stalks and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse for 30 mins.

STEP 2 

Tip the mixture into a bowl, scoop out the garlic and tarragon stalks, and discard. Whisk through most of the chopped tarragon, the egg yolk and some seasoning. Mix the potato slices through the infused cream until they are fully coated, then arrange them in overlapping layers in a buttered 30cm round dish. Pour over any remaining liquid, scatter with the gruyère and set aside.

STEP 3 

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add the beef and fry for 5-7 minutes on all sides until the fat is golden brown. Remove and put in a roasting tin. Bash the peppercorns and salt together with a pestle and mortar, and rub this over the fatty parts of the meat. Cut the garlic bulb in half through the cloves, then add to the tin.

STEP 4 

Turn the oven down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the beef in the oven to cook for 55 mins-1 hr 5 mins (for medium-rare). Put the dauphinoise on the lower shelf to cook for the same amount of time, then add the carrots to the roasting tin for the last 25 mins. A cooking thermometer should read 55C when the beef is cooked. Cover with foil and leave to rest for 25 mins.

STEP 5 

Make the béarnaise dressing by adding all ingredients except for parsley into a medium-sized heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water). Whisk continuously until the sauce thickens slightly and the mixture is heated through; this should take about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.

STEP 6 

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the carrots and fry for 5-10 mins over low heat until golden and tender.

STEP 7 

 Serve the beef thinly sliced with the dauphinoise, carrots, roasted garlic and lightly dressed watercress leaves. Drizzle béarnaise sauce over all components before serving. 

STEP 8

Enjoy!

Final thoughts

So, there you have it, an impressive French recipe to show off your exquisite taste and fancy cooking skills. You will surely become the talk of the town and everyone will be eager to receive your next invitation. 

To get the best quality ingredients and the best price, check out our organic beef selections. We also have organic chicken, organic lamb, and an array of deli products too. So, don’t delay, order today and you could be fine dining at home tomorrow. 

Must read: Beef Cuts: A Comprehensive Guide