Carpetbag Steak

As far as I know, this is an Australian invention - well, we will claim it as ours. It falls into the retro-cooking area and I love it. You can create variations by using smoked oysters, if you like.

Serves Four.

3-3.5 pound piece fillet of beef, tail end
1 tablespoon butter
4 small mushrooms, stems removed, wiped and finely sliced
12 large natural oysters
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated or minced lemon zest
1 teaspoon green peppercorns
1 tablespoon brandy
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/2-1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted with 1 tablespoon olive oil

Cut the trimmed fillet lengthwise to butterfly it.

Bring the butter to foaming point in a frying pan and add the mushroom slices. Cook for 1 minute, add the oysters and cook for a further minute. Pour in the lemon juice and add the zest, peppercorns, brandy and garam masala. Cook for 1 minute more and remove from the heat.

Sprinkle in enough of the breadcrumbs to take up the juices and leave you with a paste-like filling. Cool and spoon this oyster filling down the centre of the beef fillet. Wrap the meat around it and tie into place with string, or skewer closed with toothpicks.

Seal the meat in the heated butter and oil, then sit on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.

Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into rounds to serve with roasted potatoes and freshly steamed greens of your choice.