Name: The Good Farm Cookbook: Bryan’s steak and chips with black olive butter
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 400g floury potatoes, such as russet, peeled, rinsed and cut into 1.5cm batons; 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp extra for cooking the steak; 1 tsp dried rosemary; 2 steaks (eye fillet, scotch fillet, T-bone and rump are excellent choices); 2 tbsp black olive butter; Black olive butter; 150g salted butter; 2 garlic cloves, peeled; 50 g black olives, pitted; 2 anchovy fillets; ¼ bunch fresh parsley

With a focus on ethical proteins, wholefoods, low sugar and gluten-free eating, Matilda Brown and Scott Gooding’s new The Good Farm Cookbook is a collection of everyday family recipes for a nourishing, hopeful life.

With crispy chips and moreish olive butter, this delicious steak and chips recipe is a family favourite from Matilda’s father, Bryan Brown — and its more than likely going to become a staple in your house as well.

Ingredients

400g floury potatoes, such as russet, peeled, rinsed and cut into 1.5cm batons

100ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp extra for cooking the steak

1 tsp dried rosemary

2 steaks (eye fillet, scotch fillet, T-bone and rump are excellent choices)

2 tbsp black olive butter

Black olive butter

150g salted butter

2 garlic cloves, peeled

50 g black olives, pitted

2 anchovy fillets

¼ bunch fresh parsley

Method

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and drop in the potatoes. Return to the boil before reducing the heat to a steady simmer for 12 minutes.

Drain, and lightly toss them in the colander to ‘rough up’ the surface of the potato. Place in a container (uncovered) and freeze for 1-2 hours. Once the potatoes have chilled, preheat the oven to 220°C.

Place the olive oil in a baking dish with the dried rosemary and put in the oven for 5 minutes before adding the potatoes. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden, turning a few times to ensure the chips are evenly crisp.

Remove the steaks from the fridge and set aside. With about 10 minutes left on the chips, place a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Season both sides of the steaks. Add the extra olive oil to the pan and, once hot, add the steaks. If your steak is about 2cm thick, cook them for around 3 minutes on each side for medium rare (adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the steak and how you like it cooked). Don’t move the steaks for the first 3 minutes – this will create a lovely caramelised crust. Once this has developed, turn them over.

With 1 minute remaining on the steaks, add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan and baste the steaks with it. Once cooked to your liking, remove the steaks from the pan and rest for 2-3 minutes.

Remove the chips from the oven and season. Place the steak on a serving plate and top with the remaining butter. Serve with the chips and a green salad, if you like.

Black olive butter

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz for 20 seconds or until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

This is an edited extract from The Good Farm Cookbook by Scott Gooding and Matilda Brown with photography by Cath Muscat, published by Murdoch Books, $39.99.