Fillet of Beef with Niçoise Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

1.2 kg (2 ½ lb) fillet of beef in the piece trimmed and tied.

Marinade

2 tablesp. oil
1 tablesp. fresh root ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablesp. dry sherry
2 tablesp. soy sauce

Niçoise Salad

1 large aubergine, cut into thin slices
Olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 green peppers, deseeded, thinly sliced
450 g (1 lb) tomatoes, skinned, quartered and seeds removed
2 eggs, hard-boiled and quartered
50g (2 oz) black olives

To Cook

Method

METHOD: Marinade

Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the meat in a shallow dish. Pour over the marinade. Leave overnight if possible. Turn occasionally. Remove the meat from the marinade, put on a baking tray and place in a pre-heated oven, Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F). Allow 8 minutes per lb for rare, 10 minutes per lb for medium. When the meat is cooked, allow it to cool and then cut into slices.

METHOD : Niçoise Salad

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the aubergine slices on both sides. Remove from the pan. Add the onion, and a little more oil if necessary, and cook until just soft but not coloured, then add the peppers and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Return the aubergine to the pan and add the tomatoes. Gently stir the tomatoes into the mixture. Turn the salad into a dish, leave to cool, then lightly moisten with some French dressing. Set aside the hard-boiled eggs and black olives for final garnish.