Ingredients

• 4 x 180–200g/6–7oz pieces beef fillet
• ideally cut as a circle from the centre of the fillet
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• finely chopped
• 1 rosemary sprig
• leaves only
• 2 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 shallot
• finely chopped
• 5 black peppercorns
• 300ml/10fl oz Port
• 1 litre/1¾ pints beef stock
• 15g/½oz butter
• chopped
• 10g black winter truffles
• sliced
• 350g/12oz ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 free-range egg yolk
• beaten
• 15g/½oz butter
• 250g/9oz chestnut mushrooms
• quartered
• ½ tsp olive oil
• 1 savoy cabbage
• finely shredded
• 50ml/2fl oz double cream
• 1kg/2lb 4oz potatoes
• peeled and chopped
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 250ml/9fl oz double cream
• 250ml/9fl oz milk
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 40g/1½oz chicken liver parfait

Directions

• Rub the beef with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Put in a sealable container with the thyme
• rosemary and garlic. Rub the meat with the marinade. Seal the container and leave in the fridge for 1–2 hours.
• To make the sauce
• heat the oil and gently cook the shallot until softened. Add the peppercorns and Port. Cook until reduced in volume by a third.
• Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes
• or until reduced to a sauce-like consistency. Pass through a sieve into a clean saucepan. Season and whisk in the butter. Add the truffle slices.
• For the pastry and mushrooms
• preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Cut four 7cm/2½in-diameter circles from the pastry. Brush with the egg and bake for 10 minutes
• or until golden brown.
• Heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms until soft. Season to taste.
• For the cabbage
• heat the oil in a clean saucepan and gently cook the cabbage until tender. Mix in the cream and season. Set aside.
• For the mashed potatoes
• put the potatoes into a pan of cold
• salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15–20 minutes
• or until cooked. Drain and put back into the pan to dry in the heat.
• Mash the potatoes. Heat the butter and cream in a saucepan. When hot
• add to the potatoes with the milk. Mash and season.
• Take the beef out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature. Wipe away the marinade.
• Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Rub the beef with a little more oil and cook in the pan for a few minutes
• then turn and cook for a few more minutes to make a criss-cross pattern. Turn the beef again
• cook for a few minutes and repeat
• until done to your liking. Remove from the pan and rest on a clean plate for 3–5 minutes.
• For the garnish
• fry the thyme sprigs in the oil
• or until crispy.
• To serve
• place a large spoon of creamed cabbage in the centre of each serving plate. Spoon a generous amount of sauce around the cabbage. On top of the cabbage stack a pastry disc
• then the mushrooms
• then the beef. Garnish with a quenelle of chicken liver parfait and the crispy thyme and serve with the mashed potato.