Today for a change I thought I would introduce you to a dish which is more one you would share with your partner whilst the children are in bed (yes we do do this sometimes :-)), a classic French bistro dish: la bavette à l’échalotte. As most of my dishes it is really easy to make but delicious. Vegetarian friends beware; this is a carnivore meat lover kind of dish!
Bavette is a really popular French cut of beef yet it can be quite hard to find in the UK. As it is one of my husband’s favourite cuts I have been several time on a mission to find some. Whether it is at my local butcher or at the butcher of my local high-end supermarket no one has bavette on offer… my solution: internet (Ocado, French click, Chanteroy, Abel & Cole…)
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You could think that if it is this tasty it must be atrociously expensive… well no… it is pretty much at least three times cheaper than filet and it has so much more flavour so go for it! The only reason why you don’t find it easily is that it is so tasty and unique butchers like to keep it for themselves, a cheeky perk of the job isn’t it? Bavette is then also known to be the butcher’s cut :-)
Bavette and shallots go beautifully together and by making a red wine shallots comfit you will achieve Parisian bistro like results.
Bon appétit!
Ingredients
- 10 g butter
- 4 shallots peeled and thinly sliced
- 20 cl red wine
- 2 beef bavettes
Instructions
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Melt the butter very gently in a small saucepan. As soon as it is melted (you do not want it to brown), add the sliced shallots in the pan. Cook on a gentle heat (let them sweat- they should not brown) for about 10 minutes.
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Pour the red wine into the saucepan. Leave to cook for 20 to 30 minutes on a gentle heat. You need the red wine to have almost all evaporated.
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Pan fry your beef bavettes as you like them cooked.
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Remove your bavettes from the frying pan. Add the red wine shallots comfit to the pan to get all the flavour from the meat and serve the comfit on top of the meat.
I can’t resist a post about Bavette, it’s my favourite dish of all time (and it’s also a ‘date night whilst the kids are in bed’ sort of meal, usually served with gratin dauphinois).
I’ve been able to find it in the UK, it’s called beef skirt and Tesco does it at its meat counter! I couldn’t believe it, and as you say, it is really cheap.
Oh with gratin dauphinois… indeed a perfect match!!! Great to know we can find it at Tesco too, thank you for sharing :-)
Nice simple recipe that looks delish.
I wish someone would bring this to me while I was in bed – oh my goodness so simple yet stunning and mouthwatering! Beautiful photo!
I’ll have to pass this to my meat-eating husband. He’ll enjoy trying out a different cut of meat.
That steak looks amazing! Mouth is watering now!
Thank u :-)
Nothing beats a good bavette! I absolutely love that, and your photos are stunning, sweetie. x
Thank you :-) that’s it I got hungry again just thinking about it!
Alors moi aussi, totalement fan. Chez mon boucher, j’ai pointé du doigt la bavette, et il a dit “you want BAVETTE ?” j’en ai déduit qu’on disait ça pareil, mais il y a peut etre trop de français dans mon quartier !
Chez Gazette, à Balham, je recommande !