Okay, so this isn’t exactly your typical meat and potatotes dinner. It does have steak and it does have potato and it also has some veggies, just to round out the plate and to add some color. The flavors and textures of this dish are outstanding.

I must admit that I was hugely impressed by the outcome. Like much of my cooking, I started with a vague idea of what I wanted and it evolved from there.

I saw a recipe for potato fritters that sounded interesting. It featured boiled potatoes and onions, shaped into balls and rolled in flour then fried. This sparked the idea for dinner. So, how did I go from potato fritters to panko crusted potatoes and a steak tatare? Umm… The short answer is, I don’t know. Much of my cooking is intuitive, the flavors, colors and textures just seem to come together in my mind and it continues to evolve up to the time it hits the plate.

Steak Tartare

ingredients:

8 oz tender steak (I used mock chuck, also known as chuck eye)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ginger, minced

2 Tbls Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbls lime juice

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 scallion, diced

2 inch piece cucumber, diced

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 carrot, diced

1/2 Tbls butter

directions:

Trim any excess fat from steak and dice. Place steak into small bowl and stir in sea salt, ground pepper, ginger, cumin, Worchestershire, and lime juice. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Approximately fifteen minutes before plating combine marinated steak (with marinade), red pepper, scallion, and cucumber. Even though I’m not really a fan of microwave ‘cookery’, I am going to now make an exception. Place steak and veggie mix in microwave and cook at medium power for 2-3 minutes. This is not to cook meat through, but to heat it up and further the cooking action of the lime juice (acid). Stir and serve immediately.

In this case I served the steak over corn and carrots that were cooked in boiling water for approximately five minutes, drained and topped with butter.

Panko-Crusted Potatoes

ingredients:

3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes

1 Tbls butter (room temperature)

1/4 cup milk

sea salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated parmessan cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

directions:

Peel and rinse potatoes, cut into 1/2 cubes. Place into medium sauce pan with water to cover potatoes (salt can be added) boil over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. When potatoes are soft and tender, remove from heat and drain water. Add butter, milk, sea salt and pepper and mash, or run through food mill (potato ricer). In a small shallow baking sheet or pan lined with plastic wrap, press mashed potatoes into thin layer (approximately 1/4 inch thick). Cover with wax paper and chill for 1 hour. Peel back wax paper and place loosely back on top, flip pan over and remove potatoes from pan. Slice potato into rectangles (or any other fun shape). Open and beat one egg into shallow bowl. In a second bowl place panko crumbs. Using spatula, carefully lift and place potato pieces into egg, one at a time, then into panko. Cover both sides of potato evenly with panko. Place on sheet of wax paper and repeat until all pieces are breaded.

Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium high heat to 300 degrees. Carefully place breaded potato slices into hot oil (in small batches – 2-3 at a time) and fry till golden brown on both sides. Remove and drain on double layer paper towels. Serve immediately.