A TASTE OF... PARIS/FRANCE
As a young chef, Phil Clark dreamed of visiting Paris. It was an absolute must and something that he had wanted to do since he first started working in a kitchen and began reading cook books by inspirational chefs. After two years of working in underground London kitchens, he finally had enough money saved and some time off to visit Paris!
He was 25 years old, alone and ready to eat! Paris was so busy – a real culture shock for a young kiwi! He discovered lots of little bistro restaurants hidden away down side streets. The cafes and bars were bustling with customers pouring out into the streets. They were like hole in the wall size restaurants with ladders up to a second dining room level and menus hand written daily on the wall with whatever the chef could buy from the local street food market or corner butcher.
Phil says he will never forget his very first meal in France - it was a beautifully caramelised beef bavette with roasted beetroot, capers, wilted endive and a shallot merlot vinegar jus. He asked for a glass of matching wine and they gave him half a bottle of French red and bread - a lot of bread. It was the perfect lunch!
It was this experience which later created the inspiration and philosophy behind Phil’s Kitchen. It was all about creating this experience for diners back in New Zealand, and we are so glad he did! Phil’s Kitchen is a little slice of France oozing charm and deliciousness using the very best of New Zealand produce.
Below Phil shares his recipe of that very first meal he had in Paris. Enjoy!
BBQ beef bavette with roasted beetroot, capers, wilted endive and a shallot merlot vinegar jus.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
300g beef bavette steak (beef fillet or sirloin also works well with this recipe)
1tsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
100mls merlot vinegar
8 tsp caster sugar
500mls beef jus (you can buy premade jus at your favourite food store, otherwise use 1 litre of good quality beef stock and simmer until it is reduced to a quarter)
1 beetroot, left whole for baking in the oven
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baby capers
1 endive or 1 sliver beet leaf, left whole for wilting (or a combination of both)
2 tsp unsalted butter
10ml water
Extra olive oil for cooking
Method:
Cook the shallots in a dash of olive oil until soft with no colour, add the caster sugar and vinegar and reduce by half. Add in the beef jus and bring to the boil. Season and check the taste.
Place the beetroot into a bowl and coat with olive oil, season with salt then wrap in tin foil. Cook in the oven at 160°c for 25 minutes or until soft, depending on the size of the beetroot. Cut into wedges to serve.
In a small pan melt the butter and water together to make an emulsion. Add the capers and endive and silver beet leaves. Cook until wilted or soft depending on your preference.
Bring a BBQ metal hot plate up to heat until it’s nice and smoking or bring a frying pan to a high heat. Add the olive oil and cook the bavette until it’s nice and caramelised on the outside, then finish in the oven at 85°C until the internal temperature is 53°C or cooked through to your liking. Season the bavette with flaky salt and rest for 15 minutes before cutting into portion sizes.
Serve the beef with the wedges of roasted beetroot and wilted endive and drizzle with the jus.
