PARMA HAM-WRAPPED FILLET
The traditional fillet, reinvented for the festive season
SERVES 4 PREP: 20 mins
Onion puree
4-5 large onions (skin on), halved
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
30-45ml (2-3 tbsp) olive oil
6 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
60ml (¼ cup) Parmesan cheese, grated
60ml (¼ cup) cream
Meat
800g beef fillet
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
20ml (4 tsp) butter
6 sprigs rosemary
70g sliced Parma ham or Prosciutto
20ml (4 tsp) pink peppercorns, sautéed in butter for garnish Crispy thin chips, to serve
To make the onion puree, place onions on a baking tray, season and drizzle with olive oil. Roast, covered in tin foil, at 180°C for 1 hour. Remove the foil and add the garlic and thyme to the roasting tin. Roast for a further 30 minutes, uncovered, until onions are lightly golden. Peel the onions and press the garlic flesh out of its skin. Blend the onions and garlic with the thyme, Parmesan and cream in a food processor. Adjust seasoning.
For the meat, heat a Le Creuset 26cm Signature Skillet until piping hot. Brush the fillet generously with olive oil and brown all over in the hot pan. It will stick to the pan until properly browned, so don’t try to turn it too early.
Remove from the pan, brush with butter and season well.
Place in a roasting pan on top of a few rosemary sprigs and scatter the remaining rosemary on top. Roast at 200°C for approximately 10 minutes until medium rare (or until cooked to your liking). Remove from the oven and immediately drape with the Parma ham and scatter over the sautéed pink peppercorns. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with crispy chips and onion puree.