Steak Salad with Vegetables

Chef: Christopher Idone

Cookbook: The Best of Christopher Idone

Publisher: Stewart Tabori & Chang

Information

• Course: main course
• Total time: under 4 hours
• Skill level: Moderate
• Cost: Moderate
• Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium morel, cleaned and chppped (about ¼ cup)
• 1 cup imported peanut oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 heads bibb lettuce, trimmed, washed, and thoroughly dried
• 1 small head red Boston lettuce, trimmed, washed and thoroughly dried
• 1 cup hulled green peas (about ¾ pound)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 cup shelled fava beans (about 1 pound)
• 1 bunch scallions, cut 2 inches long and trimmed (include some of the green)
• 16 tiny new potatoes, washed
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 5 to 7 ounces fresh small morels, cleaned and trimmed just before cooking
• 3 ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), blanched, peeled, seeded, with juice removed and reserved
• 1 cumin seed, peeled and finely crushed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• ½ to 2½-pound boneless sirloin (with fat), at room temperature
• Kosher salt. and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup chervil sprigs, stems removed and very loosely packed

Directions

In a small pan, combine the chopped morels with oil and llheat over low heat until oil is warm to the touch. Set aside to steep for two hours, then remove and discard morel pieces. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Gradually whisk in ¾ cup of the morel oil, or more, depending on acidity of the vinegar. Set aside.

For the salad: tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces, wrap in paper toweling, and refrigerate. In a small pot of lightly salted boiling water, add the peas and a little of the lemon juice and cook the peas for 6 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain under cold running water and drain again. Set aside.

Repeat the same process for the fava beans, adding the remaining lemon juice and setting aside; the scallions, simmering them for 1 to 2 minutes, draining them thoroughly and setting them aside on paper toweling; and the potatoes, cooking them for about 12 minutes, or until tender, draining thoroughly, and setting them aside in a covered pot. (If the potatoes are larger than the size of a quarter, halve or quarter them.

In a small saucepan, heat the stock over medium heat. Add the small morels and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain and reserve, saving the stock for some other use.

Prepare the relish: chop the tomatoes very fine or pulse once or twice in a food processor. Add the cumin, oil, salt, and pepper. If too thick, add a little of the reserved juice of the tomato and chill. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large skillet, heat about one tablespoon of the remaining oil. Season the steak with kosher salt and pepper and raise the heat. Sear the steak for about 5 minutes on each side, until lightly crusted and browned. Transfer steak to the oven and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or to liking. Let meat rest while you cut the greens.

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with enough vinaigrette to coat, then divide among four plates. Repeat the process with the vegetables and morels. Trim the fat from the steak and slice the meat into thin strips. Arrange the slices over the greens and vegetables in a lattice fashion and sprinkle with chervil. Add a little relish to the side of each plate and serve.