Steak Frites with 10-minute Béarnaise Sauce

 I saw this prepared as a special Valentine's dinner on the Today show by Chef Clodagh McKenna. I did cheat and used steak fries in my air fryer because I wanted to make something else with the russet potatoes! We ended up putting a fair amount more sauce on after we started eating it the tarragon really make the sauce!

• BÉARNAISE SAUCE

  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 3½ fluid ounces (7 tablespoons) medium-bodied white wine
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 medium free-range egg yolks
  • 4½ ounces salted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

• STEAKS

  • 2 sirloin steaks (about 10 ounces each)
  • olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• FRITES

  • 2 baking potatoes, peeled
  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • salt, to taste

  • For the béarnaise sauce:

    Place a saucepan over a low heat, add the shallot, wine and vinegar, and cook for about 5 minutes, until all the liquid has evaporated. Scrape the shallots into a food processor along with the egg yolks. Turn on to a medium speed and slowly pour the melted butter through the feeder tube until all the butter is combined with the egg yolks and you have a thick sauce. Add the fresh tarragon and season with salt and pepper.

    For the steaks:

    1. Firstly, remove the steaks from the fridge and put on a plate.

    2. Heat a griddle or frying pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Lightly brush the steaks with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the steaks in the hot pan and cook to the following times: 1½ minutes each side for rare; 2 minutes each side for medium-rare; 2¼ minutes each side for medium; 2½-3 minutes each side for medium-well.

    3. Remove from the pan and leave to rest on a plate or board for about 3 minutes to allow the juices that have been drawn to the surface to relax back into the meat.

    For the frites:

    1. Slice the potatoes lengthways into 1/4-inch thick fries.

    2. Place the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain, pat dry and leave to cool.

    3. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add 2 inches vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the frites in batches, turning until they are crispy and golden. Transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper and toss in salt.

    To serve:

    Serve the steaks alongside the frites and the béarnaise sauce.