Steak frites with merne ntange butter

Merne ntange is the Arrernte word for food from plants and seeds, combining two indigenous food groups. Think of this as a Café de Paris butter of native Australian plants and herbs.

• serves

  3-4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 large, brushed potatoes
• 1 flank steak, about 600-800 g
• salt and black pepper, to season
• olive oil, for drizzling
• vegetable oil, for deep - frying
• green salad leaves, to serve

Merne ntange butter

• 150 g cultured butter, softened
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ lemon, rind grated
• 2 anchovies, finely chopped
• 2 tsp dried saltbush
• 1 tsp ground bush tomato (akudjera)
• 1 tsp ground wattle seed
• 1 tsp native aniseed
• ¼ tsp ground pepper berry
• ½ tsp smoked paprika

Chilling time: 2 hours

Instructions

1. Microwave the potatoes for 10 minutes, then cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, then peel and cut into thin chips. Place on a tray lined with baking paper. Freeze for 2 hours or until solid.
2. Meanwhile, for the butter, mix all the ingredients together. I prefer to keep it soft the first time I use it, then roll it into the traditional log and freeze it for future use after that.
3. Preheat the oven to 100°C. Season the steak well with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy–based frying pan or grill pan until very hot and brush with a little oil. Grill the flank steak for a few minutes on each side for rare or medium-rare. Remove and place on a baking tray and rest in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan to 180°C. Fry the chips for about 3 minutes or until golden and crisp. Drain on a wire rack, then toss in a large bowl with a little salt.
5. To serve, slice the steak across the grain, top with a big dollop of the butter and serve immediately with the chips and green salad.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.