Steak Frites

The French bistro classic — a perfectly cooked entrecôte with herb butter and a mountain of crispy thin-cut frites.

Steak frites — steak with french fries — is the defining dish of the French bistro, eaten by Parisians of every class at zinc bar counters since the 19th century. The entrecote (ribeye) is the traditional cut — well-marbled, full of flavour and forgiving of the high heat treatment it receives. The frites must be double-fried: once at low temperature to cook through, once at high temperature to crisp. The herb butter — beurre maitre d'hotel with tarragon, parsley and shallot — is the sauce that lifts the dish from simple to sublime. Belgian restaurants will argue, with some justification, that frites were actually invented in Belgium — the dispute between France and Belgium over the origin of the french fry remains unresolved.

Rest the steak for as long as it cooked. Frites must be double fried. The herb butter with tarragon, parsley and shallot is the secret. Always serve the steak pink.