All recipes
French Bistro

Steak Frites

Pan-seared steak, twice-cooked chips, a silky peppercorn sauce and a sharp green salad.

  • Serves2
  • Dishes4
  • Total time55 min
  • Hands-on52 min
  • DifficultyMedium
Free · builds a live, coordinated timeline in your account
Hand-drawn ink illustration of the dishes in Steak Frites

A bistro classic that lives and dies by timing. The chips take the longest, so they lead; the steak needs only minutes and a good rest, and the peppercorn sauce is built in the same pan you seared the steak in.

To drink: A bold Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 4 dishes below are timed to finish together. Import the meal and Fatto schedules every step backwards from your chosen serving time. here's how that works.

The meal, dish by dish

Chips

  • 500 g Maris Piper potatoes, cut into chips
  • Oil for frying
  • Salt
  1. Cut the potatoes into chips and rinse in cold water
    Prep / hands 6–8 min Hands-on Prep ahead
  2. Par-cook the chips in oil until soft but pale
    Stovetop 8–10 min Hands-on
  3. Drain the chips and leave them to steam dry and cool
    Prep / hands 25–30 min Unattended
  4. Fry the chips again hot until golden and crisp; salt well
    Stovetop 5–7 min Hands-on

Steak

  • 2 sirloin steaks
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • Thyme
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Bring the steaks to room temperature and season generously
    Prep / hands 20–25 min Unattended Prep ahead
  2. Sear the steaks hard, basting with butter and thyme, to your liking
    Stovetop 6–9 min Hands-on
  3. Rest the steaks under foil
    Prep / hands 6–8 min Unattended

Peppercorn sauce

  • 1 tbsp green peppercorns
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • Splash of brandy
  • 150 ml cream
  • Beef stock
  1. Peel and finely dice the shallot
    Prep / hands 3–4 min Hands-on Prep ahead
  2. In the steak pan, soften the shallot, add peppercorns and brandy, then reduce with stock and cream to a glossy sauce
    Stovetop 8–10 min Hands-on

Green salad

  • 2 handfuls mixed leaves
  • Mustard vinaigrette
  1. Toss the leaves with a sharp mustard vinaigrette just before serving
    Prep / hands 3–4 min Hands-on