When the Irish Food Board sent me this recipe to try recently, I couldn’t wait to make it, pack it up and take it on a picnic. It almost looked too pretty to transport, but actually, it travelled well. I kept the tomatoes and the boiled eggs whole and in a separate container until I was ready to serve the salad. Although the star of this salad if the grass-fed Irish Beef, there’s a French influence from the Dijon mustard and I loved the addition of the capers and gherkins, too. A fresh baguette on the side and a glass of perfectly chilled rosé is all you need for a perfect al fresco, French-inspired supper.
Photo Credit Irish Food Board/Bord Bia
French Style Irish Beef Salad by Bord Bia
Yield 4
A protein-packed salad with grass-fed Irish bullet steak, which is best served blue or rare. With new potatoes, eggs, tomatoes and a French-style Dijon mustard dressing.
Ingredients
- 500g piece bullet steak
- 700g waxy new potatoes, scrubbed or scraped
- 3 eggs
- 3 plum tomatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- For the dressing:
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 120ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, extra to garnish
- 2 tbsp tiny capers
- 2 tbsp finely chopped gherkins
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lightly dressed green salad and French baguette, to serve.
Instructions
- Heat a cast-iron griddle pan until searing hot. Add the steak and cook for about 5 minutes each side or until rare. Set aside for at least 15 minutes to rest or up to an hour is fine, then cut into thin slices, trimming down as necessary.
- Place the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender, then drain. Cook the eggs in a pan of simmering water for 7 minutes until soft-boiled. Drain and run under cold running water, then shell.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing; place the vinegar, mustard, honey and seasoning in a screw-topped jar and shake until the salt has dissolved. Add the oil and shake again vigorously until you have a nice thick emulsion. Add the shallots, chives, parsley, gherkins and capers, shaking gently to combine.
- While the potatoes are still warm, cut them into slices and arrange half in the bottom of a serving dish. Spoon some of the dressing over and then cover with a layer of the slices of beef. Repeat the layers, spooning a little dressing over each one. Cover with clingfilm and set aside at room temperature for an hour to allow the flavours to combine.
- Just before serving, cut the soft-boiled eggs into quarters and arrange around the edge of the salad with the tomatoes. Garnish with parsley and serve straight to the table with a separate bowl of green salad and some crusty French bread.
Courses Salad
Cuisine French
Notes:
Grass-fed beef is a healthy option, with high levels of vitamins A and E, and a good balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.
With thanks to the Irish Food Board, Irish Beef and Bord Bia for letting me share this recipe.
You can find more Bord Bia/Irish Food Board Recipes Here
Follow Bord Bia @BordBia
I’m linking this to my July and August Simple and in Season challenge, as the salad uses new potatoes and in-season tomatoes.
You might also like my Polish-inspired beetroot salad if you’re packing up a picnic!
I’m going to be hosting a number of handpicked recipes over the summer holidays to keep you all inspired while I get stuck in various holiday traffic jams, picnic with my kids and work on updating my recipe index.
If you like them, please tweet me or instagram me @RenBehan using the hastag #handpicked or in this instance @bordbia
Peter Delicious says
I have already had dinner… and now I am hungry all over again. That looks stunning!
Ren Behan says
It’s a great recipe…as long as you like beef! Hope you can try it over the summer Peter.
Sarah (@tamingtwins) says
Ren this looks absolutely stunning. What a wonderful picnic this would make. PS Is the platter Asiatic Pheasants?
Ren Behan says
Thanks Sarah, yes great picnic fodder! Not sure on the plate but I’ll check! Definitely vintage.
Camilla says
That platter of food just looks totally divine. I am a huge fan of Irish beef it always tastes really good!
Ren Behan says
Thanks Camilla, I was completely drawn in!
Emily @amummytoo says
Beautiful dish, beautifully styled. Looks delicious.
Ren Behan says
Thanks Emily, hope you had a nice weekend.