Rosemary-stuffed beef fillet with blue cheese sauce and onion rings

Method

1. 01

   Preheat the oven to 200°C. Make the stuffing first: heat the avocado oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary and fry until fragrant. Remove from the heat, stir in the Kalamata olives and leave to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and chopped macadamia nuts. Set aside until needed.

2. 02

   Place the fillet on a chopping board. Insert a sharp knife two-thirds of the way into the fillet and slice lengthways along the centre, being careful not to cut all the way through. Open out the fillet and cover with 2 sheets of clingfilm. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound the fillet to 1.5–2 cm thick. Remove the clingfilm and season to taste.

3. 03

   Spoon the macadamia stuffing over the opened fillet, leaving a 1 cm border around the edges. Slowly roll the fillet into an oblong shape and secure with kitchen string. Brush with avocado oil.

4. 04

   Heat a glug of avocado oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the rolled fillet and brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a flat baking tray and place in the preheated oven. The supplied recipe gives 10 minutes for medium-rare, 15 minutes for medium and 20 minutes for well-done; these are not reliable safety endpoints for a stuffed roast. Food-safety addition: use a food thermometer to check the centre of the stuffing reaches 74°C (165°F), continuing to cook as needed rather than relying on time or colour. This may take longer and will not give a rare centre.

5. 05

   For the blue cheese sauce, heat a glug of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for about 1 minute. Reduce the heat and add the blue cheese and half the cream, stirring until the cheese has melted; do not bring to the boil.

6. 06

   In a mixing bowl, stir the remaining cream and cornflour together until smooth. Add to the cheese sauce and simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Season to taste and remove from the heat. Set aside until needed.

7. 07

   For the onion rings, combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the soda water and whisk until well combined. Set aside until needed.

8. 08

   In a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep pot, heat the canola oil to 180°C. If using a pot, check the temperature with a suitable sugar or frying thermometer. Dip the onion rings in the batter and deep-fry until golden brown, about 1–2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to lift them out and place on paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

9. 09

   Remove the kitchen string before slicing the cooked fillet. Serve with the blue cheese sauce and onion rings alongside.