Porcini and Pepper Crusted Steak with Crème Sherry Sauce and Arugula Strawberry Salad

Very satisfying classic steak dish with a twist. An old ex of mine in NYC, now a very dear friend in fact, absolutely loved his steak. It was a promised meal every Sunday night. I started cooking it so routinely that I thought it would be fun to get a little creative with it. This became the classic, and I could probably still cook it with my eyes closed.

Serves 2

Turn oven to Broil.

STEAK CRUST

(makes enough for about five steaks but its best to make a batch, stores and lasts well in a closed container)

• I tbsp fresh pepper
• 1 tbsp sea salt (or Himalayan)
• 1 tbsp oregano dried
• ½ tbsp rosemary dried
• ½ tbsp thyme dried
• 1 tsp dried onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp corn meal (for a crunch) or flour (potato flour makes it the most crispy)

I package of dried porcini mushrooms ground in coffee grinder to a fine dust

Mix the above in a tightly sealed jar and will keep for about one month. When ready to crust steak pour onto small bread plate (about two tbsp per steak)

STEAK

2 NY strip dry aged steak or filet mignon (mind you cooking times will be different)

Steak Marinade:

In the blender, add the following ingredients:

• One handful fresh basil
• 3 rosemary sprigs taken off stem
• large bunch of fresh thyme taken off stem
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 3 squeezed lemons
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/3 cup Spanish sherry
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1tsp pepper freshly ground
• juice of 2 large lemons

*for the sherry sauce, you will need two tablespoons of crème fraiche and two tablsp fresh chopped chives for garnish.

blend this all together and pour into large container. Place the two ny strip steaks in the marinade and cover tightly sealed. Leave for an hour, the longer you leave it the more flavor will soak into the steak. Place in fridge if for longer than an hour marinating.

When ready to cook the steaks, take out steaks from fridge an hour before you are ready to serve them so they can become room temp.

Meanwhile prepare the salad.

STRAWBERRY AND PEPPER ARUGULA SALAD

• 3 different colored bell peppers
• one large red onion finely diced with mandolin
• ten strawberries sliced lengthwise
• 2 tsp honey
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• juice and zest from 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons honey mustard
• finely sliced handful of fresh basil/save two leaves for garnish
• salt and pepper to taste
• two or three handfuls fresh arugula
• half cup finely sliced aged parmesan cheese (use your vegetable peeler to get curls)

Put peppers in oven, and let the outside skin burn black (about five minutes each side rotating) this will take about 20 minutes to fully burn off pepper skin. When done, place peppers in tightly concealed container for about 30 minutes to cool down. In the meantime, blend the liquid ingredients above and then put onions strawberries and basil in. take the cooled peppers from the container and while running water over them, the flesh should peel easily from the flesh. Make sure to get rid of stem and seeds. Dice in big chunks and add to mixture. Set aside in fridge to marinate. This can be done two hours in advance. Mixture will keep up to a week.

For the steak:

Place a grill pan on stove and set heat to high. Add three tablespoons of olive oil. Turn oven to broil. Take the steak out of marinade and dry off completely with paper towels. Save marinade for sauce, do not throw out. Then dredge the steak on both sides with crust until fully covered. Place in pan. Lift pan from side to side and make sure oil soaks all over the sides and press down firmly with spatula over steak now and then. Do this for about 2 minutes and then lower heat to medium. Leave two more minutes. When steak is “loose” from pan, meaning not sticking, flip over. Turn heat back up to high and press firmly. Lift pan and let oil coat, press, and then put in oven for about 4 minutes, depending on how rare you like it. Medium rare, leave for five or six and put on lower shelf, rare four minutes top shelf- this will depend on your oven so keep an eye out not to burn!

Take steak from the oven, and set aside to rest for about five minutes. Place the grill pan back onto stove. Add about half of the steak marinade and turn heat to medium high. As it cooks, take spatula and scrape off crust and dried bits left on pan. Cook until reduced by half. Turn off heat and add crème fraiche. Put pan on a cool burner and mix with spatula until blended.

Lay out arugula onto two large plates and place a heap of the onion marinade in the center. Sprinkle the parmesan on top. Lay steak to the side. Add the sauce at the center of the steak letting it spill off onto the sides. Garnish the top of each steak with a fresh basil leaf.