Eye Fillet with Crispy Chips and Herbaceous Salad

Remove the eye fillet roast from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 190ºC.

Scrub and chop the potatoes into chunky sized chips.  Parboil the chips in water for 5 minutes or until the outside is beginning to soften, but the inside remains firm.  Drain the potatoes and allow to steam with the lid off to dry out.  Pour the polenta over the chips along with a teaspoon of salt and shake to coat.

Heat a grill or large frying pan on high. Season the eye fillet generously with salt and pepper, then sear on all sides.

While searing the beef, transfer the chips to a lined baking tray and drizzle generously with olive oil.

Once a nice crust has formed on the beef, transfer it to a small roasting dish.  Place both the beef and the chips in the oven to roast.

Cook the meat 25 minutes for Rare (55ºc inside) 30 minutes (60ºC inside) for medium rare, 35 minutes (70ºC inside) for Medium, 40 minutes (70ºC or above) for well done.  Remove the meat from the oven, cover with tin foil and a tea towel, and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes - cook the chips for a further 20 minutes until golden and crispy. Ensure the chips cook in the oven for at least 45 minutes,  

While the chips and the beef cook, assemble the salad in a bowl.  Once the beef has rested, serve with the chips fresh from the oven, along with the salad. Dress the salad with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon or vinegar from the caper jar.

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