Steak, Frites et Salade
By: Giangi Townsend
Published: Sunday, July 15, 2012 - 4:06am

Ingredients




4 large potatoes
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Sea salt
4 tablespoons Cognac
4 tablespoons black peppercorn crushed
2 tablespoon salted butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
4 fairly thick rib eye steaks

Preparation

1 Peel the potatoes and cut them in strips or use the mandoline to 1/8” thickness, or larger. If a deep fryer is available, heat the oil at the maximum high and cook following you fryer instructions. If using a regular frying pan, add enough oil to come up the side by at least 1 inch. 2 On high heat warm the oil. A good test to see if the oil is hot enough, add 1 French fry and the oil should bubble around it. 3 Add half of the potatoes but do not overcrowd. When a nice golden color, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. 4 Sprinkle generously with salt. 5 Repeat with the remaining potatoes. Serve hot. 6 Steaks: 7 Place the steaks in a dish and add half of the Cognac. Let it soak each steaks on both sides for a minute or so. 8 Remove from the Cognac and place the steaks on a dish. Press the pepper on each side of the steak. 9 Heat the butter in a skillet and brown the steak 3 minutes on each side over high heat. 10 Pour the Cognac and carefully set a light flambé ( you do not have to if you do not feel comfortable doing so) 11 When the flame have died down, remove the steals from the skillet and keep warm. Discard the cooking butter and add the heavy cream to the pan, scraping up the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the cooking juices. 12 Season to taste and pour over the steaks.

About

Happy Bastille Day!!! to commemorate the day I decided to make a very French meal tonight.  What better than steak, frites et salade. 
With all the wonderful dishes that France has to offer somehow this bistro classic is always the favorite.  Maybe it is the simplicity of it, maybe it is that in less than 20 minutes a great meal is served.  Maybe… maybe… I just know that we loved every bites of it.
I did not just make plain steak, I made steak au poivre. For fun I decided to let my steak sit for a few minutes in the cognac.  I strongly suggest it to try it.  The steak had a slight bite to it. 
TIP: Please make sure that when pouring the cognac, or any alcoholic beverages into a cooking pan, lower the heat first and remove the pan from the heat source.  Always keep your body and face away from the pan.  I know, I know I sound like a mother…
I am sharing also some of my favorites pictures of home for me, Paris.
Happy Bastille Day and Bon Appetit!
Tonight July 14, 2012 dinner:
Steak au poivre
Frites
Salade