The perfect steak with a quick mushroom sauce...

I thought I'd share... after this awful weather, and half the household having run the half 2 oceans, we are all relaxing with a glass of wine and a medium rare thick cut rump steak.

As I didn't run the 2 Oceans, I volunteered to make the steak and mushroom sauce (as no steak is ever complete without it).

For the perfect steak:

1. Heat your grill or frying pan over a high heat, until smoking hot.

2. Lightly brush the steak with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Don’t grill more than two steaks at a time, and keep them spaced well apart. If you add more than two steaks to the pan at once, the temperature will drop and the steak will stew, rather than fry.

4. Don’t turn the steaks until good seared markings are achieved, then turn them over and cook on the other side. I recommend serving them medium rare- 3 mins each side.

5. You must let the steak rest for about 3 minutes before serving, to allow the juices that have been drawn to the surface to relax back into the meat.

For the mushroom sauce:

Gordon Ramsey's is my favourite, although I have changed it a bit...

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 200g button mushrooms , quartered
• 1 clove of garlic , lightly crushed
• 1 sprig of thyme 
• 150ml dry sherry
• 1 tbsp sherry or balsamic vinegar
• 150ml beef stock or brown chicken stock (could be made with a good bouillon powder)
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 tbsp grain mustard  

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the mushroomswith the garlic and thyme, stirring until softened.
2. Pour in 100ml sherry and cook until reduced to a glaze, about 3 mins. Add the vinegar and cook for a few secs more. Mix in the remaining sherry and the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 mins.
3. Remove the garlic and thyme, then mix in the crème fraîche and mustard. Pour in any juices from the steak, then add the parsley. 

 Smother your perfectly cooked steak with the mushroom sauce and enjoy!

Wine pairing: Serve with a good strong red blend.