Caspian-Style Seared Fillet of Beef with Roasted Garlic Sweet Potato Mash
Last week my parents celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary and as our gift to them, my brothers and I cooked a three course meal. I took on the main course and decided that for such a special occasion you simply cannot beat a fillet steak but , of course, me being me, I couldn't resist putting a bit of a spin on it.
The Caspian Sea is actually the world's largest lake and it sits in the middle of Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. What this means is that Caspian-Style food is a really exciting mixture of Persian flavours and this dish is the best of all of them. Sweet pomegranate molasses, slightly sour pomegranate juice, earthy walnuts and fragrant onion and garlic - the perfect combination! I served my beef rare, along with some heavenly roasted garlic sweet potato mash and seasonal veg - to die for!
Caspian-Style Seared Fillet of Beef with Roasted Garlic Sweet Potato Mash
Serves 4-6
1.5kg (3lb) fillet of beef
For the marinade:
1 large onion, sliced
125ml (4fl oz) (unsweetened) pomegranate juice
75ml (3fl oz) pomegranate molasses
4 garlic cloves, finely choped
75g (3oz) walnuts, finely ground (food processor works well for this)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper
For the sweet potato mash:
6 sweet potatoes
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
pinch of cumin (optional)
30g unsalted butter
salt and pepper
To serve:
handful of fresh parsley, mint and basil, finely chopped
fresh pomegranate seeds
extra pomegranate molasses
Place the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix together with just a splash of water. Add the beef and gently rub the marinade into the meat. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 3–4 hours or overnight, but no longer. Take the meat out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to bring it up to room temperature.
Meanwhile, make the roasted garlic sweet potato mash. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Roast the sweet potatoes whole for 1 hour. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on a double layer of kitchen foil, drizzle with a little olive oil, then seal the foil around them. Roast in the oven with the sweet potatoes for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, allow them to cool slightly - just enough to allow you to handle them - and scoop out the flesh into a saucepan set over a low heat.
When you are ready to cook the beef, remove it from the marinade and shake off any excess. Heat a cast iron pan on high heat until very hot, brush a little bit of olive oil and cook the meat without flipping until well seared (it may go black but this is fine as it gives a lovely charred flavour). Now flip, lower the heat to medium and continue to cook for about 8-10 minutes for rare or 10-12 minutes for medium. Let the meat rest covered in some foil for a good 15-20 minutes before carving.
In the meantime, peel the roasted garlic cloves and mash them into the sweet potatoes along with the cumin (if using) and some salt and pepper to taste. Cook the mash for a further 6-8 minutes, stirring it to prevent the mixture from sticking. Finish with the butter, stirring well to incorporate it and make the mash nice and smooth. I like to pour the resting juices from the meat into the mash!
Once the meat is rested and the mash is ready, slice the beef, place on a large platter and drizzle liberally with the pomegranate molasses. Scatter over some fresh pomegranate seeds and the chopped basil, mint and parsley for decoration and enjoy!
The Caspian Sea is actually the world's largest lake and it sits in the middle of Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. What this means is that Caspian-Style food is a really exciting mixture of Persian flavours and this dish is the best of all of them. Sweet pomegranate molasses, slightly sour pomegranate juice, earthy walnuts and fragrant onion and garlic - the perfect combination! I served my beef rare, along with some heavenly roasted garlic sweet potato mash and seasonal veg - to die for!
Caspian-Style Seared Fillet of Beef with Roasted Garlic Sweet Potato Mash
Serves 4-6
1.5kg (3lb) fillet of beef
For the marinade: 1 large onion, sliced
125ml (4fl oz) (unsweetened) pomegranate juice
75ml (3fl oz) pomegranate molasses
4 garlic cloves, finely choped
75g (3oz) walnuts, finely ground (food processor works well for this)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper
For the sweet potato mash:
6 sweet potatoes
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
pinch of cumin (optional)
30g unsalted butter
salt and pepper
To serve:
handful of fresh parsley, mint and basil, finely chopped
fresh pomegranate seeds
extra pomegranate molasses
Place the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix together with just a splash of water. Add the beef and gently rub the marinade into the meat. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 3–4 hours or overnight, but no longer. Take the meat out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to bring it up to room temperature.
Meanwhile, make the roasted garlic sweet potato mash. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Roast the sweet potatoes whole for 1 hour. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on a double layer of kitchen foil, drizzle with a little olive oil, then seal the foil around them. Roast in the oven with the sweet potatoes for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, allow them to cool slightly - just enough to allow you to handle them - and scoop out the flesh into a saucepan set over a low heat.
When you are ready to cook the beef, remove it from the marinade and shake off any excess. Heat a cast iron pan on high heat until very hot, brush a little bit of olive oil and cook the meat without flipping until well seared (it may go black but this is fine as it gives a lovely charred flavour). Now flip, lower the heat to medium and continue to cook for about 8-10 minutes for rare or 10-12 minutes for medium. Let the meat rest covered in some foil for a good 15-20 minutes before carving.
In the meantime, peel the roasted garlic cloves and mash them into the sweet potatoes along with the cumin (if using) and some salt and pepper to taste. Cook the mash for a further 6-8 minutes, stirring it to prevent the mixture from sticking. Finish with the butter, stirring well to incorporate it and make the mash nice and smooth. I like to pour the resting juices from the meat into the mash!
Once the meat is rested and the mash is ready, slice the beef, place on a large platter and drizzle liberally with the pomegranate molasses. Scatter over some fresh pomegranate seeds and the chopped basil, mint and parsley for decoration and enjoy!
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