A recipe for a complete and elegant meal. Rare roasted beef fillet, served chilled with kiwifruiit and chile salsa and a side of stir-fried vegetables.

Rare Roasted Beef With Chilled Kiwifruit Salsa

2 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 pound steak fillet, trimmed and at room temperature
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
3 green onions, trimmed and cut into short lengths
4 ounces snow peas, trimmed
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
2 green kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

Kiwifruit Chile Salsa:
3 green kiwifruit
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 hot red chile
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°F).
2. Heat a small heavy-bottomed casserole or cast iron dish and add one and a half tablespoons of the peanut oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef and brown well on one side.
3. Grind over plenty of black pepper, then turn the meat and cook the second side, grinding pepper over the cooked side of meat. When well browned, sprinkle each side generously with salt, then place in oven and roast for 10 minutes, turning once.
4. Quickly cool the beef, pour off any juices, then refrigerate until cold. Pat dry with paper towels then slice thinly. Allow the juices to run off then stack the beef in a container, cover and refrigerate until required (use within 24 hours), bringing to room temperature before serving.
5. Prepare the salsa next. Peel the kiwifruit and chop finely. Purée half of it then transfer to a bowl with the chopped kiwifruit, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Cut the chile down the length, remove the seeds then chop the flesh very finely and add to the bowl of kiwifruit with the coriander. Mix gently together.
6. Drain the water chestnuts, cut in half if large, put them in a small pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Boil 30 seconds, then drain and refresh with water.
7. Heat a wok over a medium heat with one tablespoon of peanut oil. Drop in the red pepper and white pieces of spring onions and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the snow peas, green pieces of spring onions and peanuts, stir-fry a minute, then add the water chestnuts and continue stir-frying until the spring onions have just started to wilt. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with salt and stir through the bean spouts. Tip into a heated serving dish. Serve immediately with the kiwifruit salsa and the sliced beef arranged on a platter, garnished with sliced kiwifruit.

Makes 14 servings.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Zespri™ New Zealand Kiwifruit.