RECIPE

This classic Italian recipe by Jamie Oliver is bursting with fresh herb flavour. Below is the standard way to make but you can also add pine nuts and parmesan cheese shavings if desired.

Cooking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

(makes 2 portions)

2 x 200 g matured rib-eye steaks olive oil, sea salt freshly ground black pepper

1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped

½ tablespoon dried oregano

2 slices ciabatta bread

2 tablespoons green pesto

1 clove garlic, cut in half

100 g mixed salad leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

METHOD

1. Lay the steaks on a chopping board and rub with olive oil. Season and sprinkle with the rosemary and oregano. Cover with greaseproof paper and bash lightly with a rolling pin until the steaks are slightly flattened out and the herbs and seasoning are pressed into the meat.

2. Put a large griddle pan on a high heat and, as it’s heating up, toast the ciabatta on both sides. Keep the toast warm. Shake any crumbs out of the griddle pan, then return to the heat and lay the steaks in it, side by side.

3. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning every minute, for a medium steak, or a little longer if you like your meat more cooked.

4. Lift the steaks out of the pan and leave to rest somewhere warm.

5. Spoon a tablespoon of pesto onto each plate and smear out across the plate with the back of a spoon.

6. Place a steak on each plate and rub the toasted ciabatta with the garlic, drizzle with a little olive oil and put a piece on top of each steak.

7. In a mixing bowl, toss the salad leaves with the lemon juice, a lug of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

8. Divide the salad between the plates and serve.

We would recommend a red wine with herbal flavours like Cabernet Franc to go with this Jamie Oliver dish. This French classic offers enough green notes to complement the pesto sauce’s strong green flavours without being too overbearing. Two other good wines matches are Chianti Classico and Beaujolais as they offer ample herbaceous flavours to complement the Pesto when served with steak.