Thyme bavette steaks with potatoes and wilted spinach
Bavette is the French word for flank steak. You could use whichever cut of steak you prefer, but this flat steak is full of flavour. It is often called the ‘butcher's cut’ as they love to keep it for themselves.
Ingredients
- 4 x 170g/6oz bavette steaks, trimmed
- 750g/1lb 10oz baby new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into slices the thickness and diameter of a £2 coin
- 3 red onions, halved and each half cut into 8 wedges
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 500g/1lb 2oz baby tomatoes in assorted colours, halved
- 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
- knob of butter
- 100g/3½oz baby spinach
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the marinade
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place the steaks on a board and, if they are not even in thickness, cover with cling film or baking paper and bash with a rolling pin until they are.
Place the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, add the steaks and turn in the marinade to coat. Leave to marinate for about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Place the potatoes, onions and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a single layer in a large roasting tin. Season with salt and pepper and toss together. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly golden.
Mix the crushed garlic and thyme together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the potatoes and onions. Push them to one end of the tin and place the tomatoes, cut-side up, on the other end. Drizzle the tomatoes with the remaining oil and the balsamic glaze. Return to the oven for 8 minutes, or until the tomatoes are just soft.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying or griddle pan until very hot. Add the steaks and fry for 1–2 minutes on each side. Spoon the excess marinade over each steak before turning. Transfer to a warm plate to rest for a few minutes. Scrape any black pieces from the pan and discard. While the steak is resting, add the butter to the pan and toss in the spinach leaves. Cook over a high heat for few minutes until wilted.
Season the spinach and spoon into the centre of a long serving platter. Slice the steak into long strips and arrange on one side. Spoon the potato, onions and tomatoes on the other side and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
The steak is best when served immediately after cooking. The steak can be marinated up to 8 hours ahead. It is not suitable for freezing.
Balsamic glaze is slightly thicker than balsamic vinegar so it clings better to the tomatoes.