We caught up with Mal’s Head Chef, Steven Urquhart, a man who is just a little obsessed with the perfect steak…
‘I’m a Liverpool lad who has worked all over the world. My favourite was a mountain-top hotel in Austria, where I could spend my spare time on the slopes.
‘My wife’s from Stonehaven. Now that we have three children, most of my spare time is spent with them, watching our eldest son play football, or very occasionally sneaking off for a meal with my wife.
‘I love the team at Mal, particularly working alongside young chefs, encouraging and developing their skills. We get to work with great fresh ingredients every day and our popular seasonal menus keep it fun and interesting for our chefs and our diners.
‘I’ve shared my recipe for the perfect steak. Although, I think if I could only eat one dish for the whole year, I’d go for our Daube of Beef which is served with roast celeriac purée, glazed shallot & onion ring, from our new à la carte menu. The meat melts in your mouth’. Malmaison. Queens Road, Aberdeen Tel: 01224 507097 malmaison.com
Stevens Perfect Steak for Two
Prime Rib
2 prime rib steaks 450g each
Remove any packaging and let the steaks stand for ten minutes. Rub the steak on both sides with olive oil, season with Maldon sea salt and black pepper. Rub with cut fresh garlic and thyme, Heat a heavy based pan or griddle until hot. Fry the steaks for 3-4 minutes per side, turning frequently, then rest on a plate for two minutes. Add the juices from the plate and a knob of butter to the pan, then pour over the steak.
Onion rings
An onion
250g gluten-free self-raising flour
1 bottle of Heineken and a splash cold water if needed
15g table salt
Pour the beer into a bowl containing the flour and salt, leave to stand for ten minutes. Whisk and leave in fridge for an hour before use. Check the batter consistency. If too thick, add a little water.
Slice the onion into 1cm thick slices, pop out the middle and dip the larger outer rings into the batter. Fry at 1700 -1800C. Place on paper towel and re-fry at 1800C until crisp and golden. Dry on paper towels again and season with sea salt just before serving.
Confit tomatoes
100g baby vine tomatoes
Snip the tomato vines into sections of four or five tomatoes. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil,
balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cook at 900C
for 10-30 minutes until just softened.
Fat cut chips
20 fat cut chips
Cut potatoes into jenga shapes, steam or boil for 12 minutes, drain and cool. Blanch the chips in a deep fat fryer at 1400C until soft, but not too coloured. Refry at 1800C until crisp and golden just before serving, season.
Plate up and enjoy.