Every single member of my family is partial to a good steak.  Sometimes we love it on the Barbie with a dollop of good mustard but the family favourite would have to be this one!  Tender, juicy rib eye steak pan seared and served on a bed of creamy mash, topped with a generous helping of a not too rich, whiskey infused, creamy mushroom sauce.  It takes the meat and three veg to a whole new level, and is a perfect midweek meal particularly when rib eye is on special!

Prep time:  20  Minutes               Cooking time:  30  Minutes                  $$  Low to Medium Budget

Serves 4

Olive oil for frying

4 x 200gm Rib Eye steaks  (sirloin or fillet would be equally good)

1 punnet of swiss brown mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic

2 capfuls of scotch whiskey (you could use brandy or port)

2 tbs of worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup of beef stock

100ml of pure cream

2 tbs of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Sea salt and cracked pepper

Creamy mash and steamed greens to serve

I haven’t provided a recipe for the mash as I am fairly certain everyone knows how to mash potatoes!  You could also pair it with mashed sweet potato or a combo of pumpkin and potato.  If in doubt, search “Mashed Potato” on the website and various recipes will pop up.

It is always best to cook steak at room temperature.  That way if you like it on the rarer side, the meat will be warm in the middle.  Lay the steaks on a cutting board and drizzle with a little olive oil and season generously on both sides with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Heat a large frypan to a really high heat.  Pan fry the steaks on each side for 4-5 minutes for medium rare or a couple of minutes longer if you like it well done.  The best way to tell when a steak is ready to turn is to wait for the juices to surface on the raw side.  Once you see the juices surface it is ready to turn.  Remove the steaks from the pan, set aside and cover loosely with foil to rest and keep warm.

In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and the mushrooms.  Pan fry for a few minutes until golden and then add the garlic.  Fry for a minute or until aromatic and then pour in the whisky and worcestershire sauce.  Allow the liquid to almost evaporate (you want the alcohol to burn off) and then pour in the stock.  keep the pan at a high heat so that the stock reduces quickly, by about half.  Add the cream, stir to combine and allow to reduce for a minute or two and then stir in the parsley.

For nice presentation, slice the steaks diagonally in half and lay them on top of a dollop of creamy mash.  Divide the sauce over the top of the steaks and serve immediately with steamed greens of your choice.