Warm Truffled Beef Salad

When trying to create the perfect event, get-together or informal dinner party, simplicity is most certainly the key to success. Offer simple grilled prawns or a warm truffled beef salad as a starter followed by whole salt-baked sea bass.

Preparation

Cut away all the excess sinew from the beef. Peel the onions and slice into thick rings. Pick the leaves from the thyme. Pick over, wash and dry the rocket salad. Peel and finely chop the shallots.

Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas 61/2.

Method

1. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper and place in a large flat pan suitable for both hob and oven. Add a splash of olive oil and place the pan over a medium heat. Allow the beef to colour on all sides, then transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat some more olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion rings and let them colour over a high heat. Now season them with salt and pepper, turn the heat down to low and let them cook slowly for a further 10 minutes. Place a lid on the pan and leave the onions to stand with the heat turned off.
3. Grate the truffles into the mayonnaise and reserve for later.
4. Take the pan out of the oven, turn the beef over and baste with the cooking juices. Add a few of the thyme leaves to the pan and return it to the oven to cook for a further 10 minutes until medium done. I find that beef served in a warm salad is better cooked slightly more than medium rare.
5. Transfer the beef to a plate and leave to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes or so.
6. Add the shallots to the pan in which the beef was cooked, then drizzle with olive oil and add the remaining thyme leaves. Place the pan over a low heat for 2 minutes to soften the shallots, then remove from the heat and add the truffle oil. Pour this dressing over the beef and leave to stand until you are ready to serve the salad.
7. To serve, put spoonfuls of the mayonnaise on a serving plate, spacing them out evenly. Thinly slice the beef and lay the slices on top. Now separate the onions into individual rings and place them over the beef.