Steak Tartare

I have become very fond of raw meat. I only recently tried steak tartare, the classic dish of diced raw beef, for the first time and instantly fell in love with it. It is traditionally served with finely chopped shallots, parsley, capers and gherkins, and I have learned that there is some debate about how many extra ingredients to add to the meat. Some like to include condiments such as Worcester sauce, tomato ketchup, mustard, lemon juice and even brandy. One thing is pretty indisputable though, which is that the meat - being the central aspect of the dish - should be of the highest possible quality. I have had discussions about steak tartare with Alan, fellow Wedgwood chef, who believes that this dish is a pure and simple celebration of meat and should be accompanied by little more than some herbs and seasoning. I appreciate his sentiment and agree that the dish should simple, but I do like to include a couple of extra ingredients...

Steak Tartare Recipe (serves 1)

The quantities here need not be exact, just experiment and see what works best for you. Take 100g of best quality sirloin steak and, with a sharp knife, cut into small dice. Add to the meat 30g of finely chopped shallots and about 1 teaspoon each of finely chopped capers, gherkins and flat leaf parsley. Taste and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Arrange on a plate, placing a raw egg yolk in a hollow in the centre.