Vienna Steak with Mashed Potatoes, Fried Onions and Peppercorn Sauce
A tasty throwback to a pub meal from 1940’s Britain as described in Taken at The Flood.
Ingredients
Scale
For The Vienna Steak:
- 500g minced Beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 slice of white bread, crusts removed and torn into small pieces
- 1 tbsp of milk
- 1 tsp Herbes of Provence
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- Oil for frying the onions and the “steaks”
- Salt and Pepper
For The Fried Onions:
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, ground
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 500g potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters
- 50ml milk
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For The Peppercorn Sauce:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 50ml brandy
- 150ml Beef stock
- 100ml cream
- 2 tbsp green peppercorns from a tin or jar, slightly crush these with the back of your knife
Instructions
For The Fried Onions
- Place the onions in a shallow bowl and cover with the buttermilk.
- Cover and place in the fridge for about an hour.
- Place the flour, salt, pepper and cayenne in a ziplock bag and stir to combine.
- After the hour, heat the oil to 180C in a deep saucepan.
- Take a handful of onions from the bowl and shake off the excess buttermilk. Add them to the ziplock bag and shake. Remove the onions from the bag and shake to remove any excess flour.
- Place in the oil and fry until they are a deep golden brown (2-3 minutes).
- Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain the onions on paper towel.
- Repeat with the rest of the onions until they are all used up.
- Serve sprinkled on top of the Vienna Steaks.
For The Vienna Steaks:
- Heat the oil and saute the onions until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- When cool, add to the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
- Shape into four burger patties.
- Place in the fridge for around an hour.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the patties. Sear for a minute on each side then lower the heat to medium and and allow to cook through, turning once during cooking. Cook to your preferred state of doneness
- Remove from pan and keep warm while you make the peppercorn sauce.
For The Mashed Potatoes:
- Place the potatoes into a saucepan and cover with water. Add salt.
- Cook for approx 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Drain the potatoes. Leave to dry for a minute or two the pop back into the pan. Mash well ensuring there are no lumps of potato left.
- Add the butter and milk and mash again.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For The Peppercorn Sauce:
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a small pan.
- Add the chopped shallot. Cook for around 5 minutes until softened, stirring every few minutes.
- Add the peppercorns and stir for 1 minute.
- Increase the heat to medium high. Add the brandy and cook until this is amost entirely reduced.
- Add the stock and simmer until reduced to about half (3-5 ) minutes
- Reduce the heat to medium low, Add the cream and heat to your desired consistency. Do not allow to boil.
To serve, place a big spoonful of mashed potatoes on a plate. Place a Vienna Steak on top of the mash. Pour the sauce around the mash. Sprinkle the onions on top of the “Steaks”.