Ingredients
- 1 2lb whole fillet of beef, trimmed
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 handfuls of fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 bulb of garlic, cloves separated, skins left on
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 750ml bottle of red wine
- 1/4 cup butter
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450o. Generously season the beef fillet with salt and pepper. With a mortar and pestle bash up about a quarter of the rosemary with a clove of garlic to make a paste. Loosen with 5 tablespoons of olive oil then rub this all over the beef. Tie the beef up with 4 pieces of string, the poke the remaining rosemary sprigs under the string.
Brown the beef in a snug-fitting roasting pan until all sides are colored. Add the garlic cloves to the pan, place the beef on top of them and put in the oven . Cook for 20 minutes, then turn the beef over, baste it and add the red wine and butter to the pan. Cook to desired doneness (125o for medium rare). Remove the beef from the oven and let stand 10-15 minutes. Remove the string and rosemary sprigs and carve into slices.
Save any juices from the rested meat and return them to the pan with the red wine. Finish by mushing up the garlic cloves, then pass the sauce through a sieve into a dish and serve with the meat.