Flavours of Fern: BBQ picanha, celeriac, smoked leeks and salsa verde

Words by Paul Welburn

Paul Welburn at Fern

Award-winning chef, Paul Welburn selects three recipes that showcase his culinary artistry as he takes the reins at a new restaurant in Nanstallon.

BBQ picanha, celeriac, smoked leeks and salsa verde

Serves: 4:  1 hour 15 minutes, plus 1 hour brining time 

Method

To begin, place the brine ingredients in a pan and heat until the salt has dissolved. Leave to cool. Meanwhile, finely chop and combine all the ingredients for the salsa verde in a blender, adding a glug of oil. Blitz to a loose dressing consistency, adding more oil if necessary. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper and leave to sit for two hours

before serving

Once the brine has cooled, add the beef, ensuring it is fully submerged. For the beef, I use picanha steak, also known as the rump cap, but a rump steak works in the same way. Leave to brine for an hour. To make the celeriac purée, add the butter to a pan and place over a medium heat. Add the celeriac and sweat gently in the butter. Before it starts to colour, cover with the milk and cream and simmer until tender. Drain the celeriac, reserving the cooking liquid, and then blend until smooth, adding a splash of the cooking liquid if needed to form a smooth purée. Season with salt to taste.

Remove the beef from the brine and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with kitchen paper and cut into 3cm thick slices. Preheat a barbecue or chargrill pan until very hot. Combine the rub ingredients in a bowl and rub over each steak as a seasoning. Drizzle over a little oil, rubbing it into the meat to mingle with the spice rub. Once the barbecue or griddle pan is smoking hot, add the picanha steaks and colour on both sides. Meanwhile, heat all the ingredients for the glaze in a pan, stirring until combined. Brush the steaks with the glaze as they cook, being careful not to let

it burn.

Remove the roots from 18 baby leeks, wash well and place in a bowl. Char the leeks on the barbecue or griddle pan with the beef until blackened on the outside, then remove and allow to cool slightly. Remove the steaks from the heat once they reach 52°C when tested with a temperature probe and leave in a warm place to rest.

Make the dressing by whisking the ingredients together in a bowl until emulsified. Drizzle over the leek roots and set aside.

Once cool enough to handle, peel and discard the outer blackened layer of the leeks. Warm the leeks in a butter-and-water emulsion (equal parts butter and water brought to the boil and seasoned) for few minutes. Once rested, the steaks should read 56-57°C on a temperature probe. Glaze once more, then carve into slices. Season with salt.

To serve, add a spoonful of celeriac purée to each plate. Place slices of beef on top, dress with the leeks and sprinkle over some puffed barley (optional). Spoon over the salsa verde and finish with the dressed leek roots.

Ingredients:

1Kg Picanha steak (or rump steak works just as well)

18 baby leaks to serve

For the Brine:

1 litre water

150g of salt

100ml of beer

2 sprigs of thyme

10g of smoked paprika

20g of peppercorns

5 garlic cloves

For the Salsa Verde:

Light olive oil, or rapeseed oil

50g of parsley

50g of mint

50g of basil

25g of capers 

25g of cornichons

2 anchovy fillets

½ garlic clove, minced

½ tbsp of Dijon mustard

Salt

Lemon juice

For the Celariac purée:

200g of celeriac, peeled and diced

25g of butter

100ml of milk

100ml of double cream

For the Spice Rub: 

10g of ground black pepper

20g of English mustard

10g of smoked salt

10g of smoked paprika

10g of sugar

For the Glaze: 

100ml of beef stock, reduced to 50ml

250ml of porter

10ml of soy sauce

50g of malt extract

50g of yeast extract

For the Dressing:

100ml of olive oil

3g of salt

20g of shallots, brunoise

25ml of white wine vinegar

5g of Dijon mustard

5g of English mustard

½ tsp ground black pepper

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