Japanese Steak and Chips

My local supermarket has started to become rather adventurous in what it sells and, always up for a challenge, I tend to buy things that I've either never eaten or never cooked with before just to see what sort of thing I can come up with!

This dish is the product of experimentation and I'm calling it Japanese because of the miso, mirin and yuzu elements, which are all products native to Japan, although it's technically a fusion-style recipe with Middle Eastern-esque caramelised onions and good old British chunky chips. The result is a meal which is vibrant, packed with flavour and full of surprises that really sings as you eat it. Don't be put off by the list of ingredients, they can all be found in my local supermarket so hopefully they're in yours too!

Miso Steak, Chunky Chips, Sumac Onions and Yuzu Mayonnaise

Serves 4

For the den miso:

100ml sake

100ml mirin

600g white miso

300g caster sugar

For the steak:

125g tamarind paste

75ml den miso (see recipe above)

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

6 x 150-175g onglet steaks, trimmed

50ml olive oil

For the sumac onions:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 red onions, peeled, finely sliced

1 tbsp pomegranate juice

1 tsp ground sumac (available from some supermarkets and Middle Eastern delicatessens)

For the yuzu mayonnaise:

4 free-range egg yolks

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

500ml rapeseed or light olive oil

1-2 tsp yuzu juice, to taste

2 tbsp chilli dipping sauce

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chunky chips:

600g chipping potatoes, peeled, cut into chips 

2 tbsp olive oil 

sea salt and black pepper

For the den miso, place all the ingredients into a saucepan and whisk over a medium heat until the sugar and miso have dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

For the steak, mix the tamarind paste, den miso, garlic and thyme in a bowl until well combined. Add the steaks, make sure they are well coated in the marinade and set aside to marinate for at least three hours, preferably overnight.

For the yuzu mayonnaise, place the egg yolks, vinegar and mustard into a food processor. Blend to combine then, with the motor still running, gradually add the oil. Continue blending until all the oil has been added and the mayonnaise has thickened. Season with the yuzu juice, chilli dipping sauce, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

For the chips, preheat the oven to 200C. Rinse the chips in a colander under plenty of cold water to remove excess starch. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan and 2/3 fill with boiling water. Add the potatoes to cook for 10 minutes, or until softened. Tip into a colander over the sink and leave to steam dry.  

Put the par-cooked chips into an oven proof tray and drizzle over the olive oil. Ensure all the chips are well coated and season well with black pepper. Cook for 30-40 minutes, turning them halfway through the cooking time.

Meanwhile, heat a griddle or a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat until hot but not smoking (if the pan is too hot, the outside of the meat will burn before it has cooked enough.)

Brush the steaks with the oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking. Transfer the steaks from the pan to a rack, cover with foil and set aside to rest in a warm place for up to 10 minutes (this helps the meat to ‘relax’ and maximises taste and tenderness).

Remove the chips from the tray with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and season liberally with sea salt.

To serve, spread a good dollop of the yuzu mayo on the plate, place the steak on top and the chips and caramelised onions alongside.