One of Neil Perry’s favourite starters, this dish requires little more than a great steak, a sharp knife and a few basic ingredients. Rockpool Bar and Grill is famed the world over for an unrivalled selection of dry aged beef and simple, perfect execution of their recipes, so it was just magic to host executive chef Corey Costelloe at this year’s cooking demonstrations and have a taster of this truly unique dish.
Steak Tartare with Oyster Mayonnaise
Serves 4, entree
Ingredients – Oyster Mayonnaise
- 2 Rock Oysters (get a few extra for the table)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 of a lemon juiced
- 250ml vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients – Tartare
- 300g rump or fillet steak, finely hand minced
- 1 small eschalots, finely diced
- 3 cornichons (small pickled cucumbers), finely diced
- 1/4 bunch of parsley leaves, picked and rough chopped
- 1/2 cup oyster mayonnaise
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 of a lemon juiced
- Dash of tobascco
- Potato chips (the cold kind, like Kettle) to serve
To make the Mayonnaise:
- Add the egg yolks, oysters, mustard and lemon juice to a blender and blend till smooth.
- Slowly incorporate the oil by pouring a small stream into the blender whilst the blender is on high.
- Once the mayonnaise has thickened check the seasoning and set aside. The oysters will most probably be enough salt for taste.
- Set aside for later use.
To make the Tartare Mix:
- In a large bowl add the beef, the eschalots, cornichon and parsley, mix well. Add the mayonnaise and work it into the beef.
- Once a the mixture is semi-smooth mixture, add the Worcestershire sauce and the lemon juice and check the acidity levels. Some people like it more acidic than others.
- Serve cold.
South Coast produce is adored among Australia’s chefs and the Narooma Oyster Festival has a great history of bringing the two together, from Colin Fassnidge in 2022 to Julie Goodwin in 2012.
Each year the festival hosts free cooking demonstrations on the Narooma Betta Home Living Cooking Stage and we hope you enjoy recreating this dish for your own table. Remember to support your local growers, oyster farmers and fishermen wherever you can.