Ingredients

• ½ bottle red wine
• 6 x 300g tubs ready-made beef stock
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small onion
• finely chopped
• 200g/7oz chestnut mushrooms
• wiped and roughly chopped
• 2 tomatoes
• deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• knob of butter
• 450g/1lb baking potatoes
• peeled
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g/3½oz butter
• melted in a pan
• 8 ready-to-eat prunes
• chopped
• 4 x 225g/8oz fillet steaks
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 80g/3oz spinach leaves

Directions

• To make the red wine sauce
• place the wine
• beef stock and balsamic vinegar into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and keep at a steady simmer until the sauce has reduced by half. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and leave to one side.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• For the potato cakes
• shape the potatoes into a barrel shape
• then slice very thinly with a mandolin or sharp knife. Using a Yorkshire pudding tin
• line each hole with a layer of potato
• season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and pour over a little melted butter. Scatter the chopped prunes on top
• then finish with the remaining potatoes and seasoning
• pouring melted butter between each layer. Don't worry if the potato is higher than the holes - they will collapse during cooking.
• Bake the potato cakes in the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
• then remove from the tins and set aside.
• For the beef
• season the fillets with pepper but not salt. To cook the fillets
• heat the butter and oil in a frying pan and
• once the butter is foaming
• add the fillets. Colour well on one side before turning over and cooking for a further 5-6 minutes
• or until cooked to your liking.
• Remove the steaks from the pan and leave to rest in a warm place.
• Add the spinach to the pan the steaks were cooked in and cook for long enough only to wilt
• then remove from the pan and set aside. Sauté the onion
• mushrooms
• tomatoes
• garlic and parsley in the same pan for a few minutes over a high heat to soften slightly. Pour in the red wine sauce
• and a knob of butter to give the sauce a lovely gloss
• and simmer for a minute or so. Check the seasoning.
• To serve
• divide the spinach between 4 plates
• top with the warmed potato cakes and steak fillets
• and finish by spooning the sauce and vegetables over the top.