Christmas – bay-wrapped beef fillet with grilled corn, capsicum salad

by Leah Halmagyi

Ingredients

  • 1.6kg beef fillet
  • sea salt flakes and freshly-ground black pepper
  • 24 bay leaves
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 heads corn
  • 6 baby cucumbers, finely sliced
  • 6 French breakfast radishes, finely sliced
  • 1 bunch chives, finely sliced
  • 10 long red chillies, seeded
  • 10 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp caster sugar

Instructions

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

1 Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, then wrap with bay leaves, tying in place with kitchen string. Rub with 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, then cook on a moderate barbecue griddle for 25 minutes, turning often, until medium-rare.
2 Steam the corn heads until tender, then peel back the husks. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then cook on a hot barbecue grill for 5 minutes, until lightly blackened. Mix the cucumbers, radishes and chives.
3 Combine the chillies, garlic, vinegar, sugar and remaining oil in a medium saucepan and set over a low head. Once bubbles appear, remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Season with salt, and pulse in a blender until a coarse paste forms. Carve the beef and serve with corn, capsicum salad and chilli sauce.