Serves 4

There is nothing quite like steak and chips in whatever country you are in - somehow it never fails to capture us all. I am still raving over the steak cooked for me on our last day of Hell’s Kitchen, and let’s face it, Jen’s steak and chunky chips won her the heart of the nation.

This Portuguese take on Steak Diane is just as appealing and the piquant sauce can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to be authentic, don’t skimp on the garlic, the Portuguese can never get enough of it. And remember the golden rule of cooking steak - don’t overdo it. It will carry on cooking as you leave it to rest, so always take it off the heat a little before it’s reached the colour you like.

2 red peppers
4 cloves garlic, skin on
10 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp paprika
1 dsp pink peppercorns
125ml red wine
500g new potatoes, sliced
4 sirloin steaks
2 lemons
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Place the peppers and garlic in a small roasting tin, pour over 2 tbsp of olive oil and roast for 20-30 minutes, until the peppers are charred and the skin is wrinkled. Allow to cool.
2 Squeeze the garlic from the skin into the food processor bowl. Tear the peppers apart, remove skin and seeds and add to the bowl. Strain in the juices and oil from cooking until you have a smooth paste.
3 Add 1 tsp of the paprika and the juice of 1 lemon and process for 30 seconds. With the motor running, pour in 2-3 tbsp of oil to form a smooth sauce with the consistency of salad dressing. Transfer to
a sealed jar or bottle and place in the fridge until required.
4 Place 1 tsp of paprika, pink peppercorns, the wine and 2 tbsp of olive oil in a shallow, non-metallic dish, add the steaks, turning them in the marinade, cover and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.
5 Place the potatoes in a pan of salted cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain, allow to cool and then cut into 1cm slices.
6 Heat the remaining oil in a cast-iron frying pan, add the potato and sauté for 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on a paper towel and keep warm.
7 Heat a cast-iron griddle or barbecue until searing hot. Cook the steaks with the lemon slices for 3-5 minutes on each side and then allow to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
8 Serve the steak topped with the lemon slices, accompanied by the sauté potatoes and pepper sauce, with either fresh garden peas or a simple green salad.

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