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Retro: Steak Diane, Hasselback Potatoes and Bean Bundles

3/12/2011

 

Retro: Steak Diane, Hasselback Potatoes and Bean Bundles

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Retro from the 1970s, but still delicious!
Looking back, I was a slip of a girl when I was married. It was 1978 and the groom (now my ex) and his groomsmen wore Royal blue suits with fat lapels, flared trousers, bow ties and platform shoes. I, too, was wearing heeled platform shoes and my dress was a floaty, embossed chiffon number. My bridesmaids were in duck egg blue chiffon and I think my brother-in-law may have even worn a maroon Safari suit! The thought of it makes we want to burst out laughing as I sit and reminisce.

In those days, we threw dinner parties that called for serious advance preparation. There were always several courses, including hors d'ouvres, and the dishes on the menu were so involved that they sometimes took a day or two to prepare. We listened to Elvis, Diana and Marvin, the Bee Gees and Earth, Wind and Fire. And we drank Mateus and smoked cigarettes as though they were going out of style. Yeah, we were cool!

A random poll on Twitter recently resulted in some interesting responses. Sile (Sheila) Farrell, from Ireland, was single and living in Dublin in the 1970s, but says she loved fashion, platform shoes and food. 'We ate lots of garlic bread, served baked Alaska for dessert, and drank Blue Nun or Black Tower (if you were dead posh)', Sile said.

Fellow tweep, Kate Cody, grew up in Melbourne and Sydney, and says her parents did a lot of entertaining during the 70s. 'Mum’s go-to cookbooks were Robert Carrier’s Great Dishes of the World and all four of the Elizabeth Davis classics: Summer, French Country, Italian and Mediterranean. While I was not a dinner party invitee, I was a keen observer and always in a rush the morning after to see if there were any leftovers', Kate says. 'As the eldest of four kids under five, I started cooking early inspired by Mum’s enthusiasm and she was a great teacher of basic methods, like how to make bechamel. Mum was/is an adventurous cook and embraced ‘ethnic’ cuisine from an early age – I was the type of kid who had cold green lasagne in my lunchbox', she added. 

Kate and her mother, Margaret brainstormed a few dishes from the 1970s. Canned smoked oysters on Jatz crackers and Gazpacho featured on the repertoire. Margaret says she tended to cook things that could be served from the oven dish/casserole and she favoured beef and veal because she thought it was more sophisticated: Boeuf a la bourguignon, Filet en croute, Paprika veal and veal Marengo, for example. Margaret also loved a curry party, perhaps due to the fact that before she married her Kiwi husband she was engaged to a Sri Lankan man. Trifle, chocolate mousse and fresh fruit salad with maraschino liqueur were favourite desserts.

Another tweep, Chopinand, grew up in Kuala Lumpur and says the British influence was very much present, given the oysters mornay, beef Stroganoff and chicken a la King his family ate. 'I love food from the 70s because it was hearty food that was around long before so-called fusion food became fashionable. I would equate dishes like lobster Thermidore and Stroganoff to music by The Beatles, The Carpenters, Carole King and James Taylor. Food from that era should be celebrated because, like the musical counterparts, they were popular dishes that defined an era'. Chopinand says his special memories include iconic restaurants, such as The Ship, which has existed for decades in Kuala Lumpur. The menu has a mix of modern dishes but it's the 70's dishes that take him back to his childhood.

Dining out in the 1970s was a formal event and here in Canberra we were patrons of restaurants such as The Charcoal Grill on London Circuit in the city. I believe that establishment may still be there and probably lists Carpetbag steak and strawberries Romanoff on the menu. 

Nowadays, we are time poor and life is too busy to stuff cherry tomatoes! Dining at home with friends presents us with the opportunity to have a relaxed gathering where good food is shared with good company. Food trends have changed significantly and dinner can be anything from sausages or steak on the barbecue to Laksa or Green Papaya Salad, or wood-fired pizza. But there are some retro foods that, for me at least, will never go out of style. I'm talking prawn cocktails, oysters Kilpatrick, steak Diane and strawberries Romanoff. I plan to investigate some of these retro dishes in upcoming snippets, so watch this space. In the meantime, dear reader, your dinner for two is served: steak Diane with Hasselback potatoes and bean bundles. And thanks to Sile, Kate and Chopinand for your great input to this snippet!

HASSELBACK POTATOES
2 medium sized Sebago potatoes
a little light spray olive oil
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

You don't really need a recipe for Hasselback potatoes, but if you do, here is how I've always made them. Preheat the oven to 190-200 degrees C. Slice a piece from the base of each potato, see picture (don't throw these bits out, they can also be baked briefly!). Place the potato on its bottom and, using a sharp knife, slice even-sized cuts into the potato, taking care not to cut all the way through. Pop the potatoes onto a lined baking tray or sheet, spray well with some light olive oil and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until tender.

BEAN BUNDLES
a good handful of stringless or baby green beans, as many as you and your partner will eat
2-4 sturdy sprigs of chives 
sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Again, you hardly need a recipe for this classic dinner party or restaurant side dish. But if you need instructions, just wash and then top and tail the beans. Timing is essential here, so do this as you pop the steaks on. Steam the beans briefly until they are tender. Tie up in little bundles with the lengths of chive. Season to taste, dot with a little butter if you wish. Serve immediately.

STEAK DIANE*
2 thick slices eye fillet steak
2 dessertspoons butter
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of tomato sauce or tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water, perhaps more
1 heaped teaspoon cornflour
sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
finely chopped parsley, to garnish

Melt half the butter in a heavy-based frypan. Add the steaks. Cook, turning once, until done. If you are not sure how to test your steak, there's a great link here that will teach you the finger method. Remove the steaks and set aside on a plate to keep them warm. Add the extra butter and sauces to the pan, deglaze briefly. Add the garlic, then the water and cornflour and stir until the sauce reduces slightly and thickens. Add a little more water if required. Season to taste. Plate up your steaks, potatoes and bean bundles. Pour the sauce over the steaks and serve immediately.

*Recipe adapted from Meat Cookbook by Tess Mallos (Hamlyn, 1976). I also like the classic recipe for steak Diane made with cream, but this is a lower fat version that also tastes great.

What did you or your parents (or grandparents) cook in the 1970s? What foods do you consider stylish enough to be served today, with a few tweaks?  What 1970s music do you love, or hate? Do please share your thoughts and stories. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Slice a piece from the base of each potato
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Pop the potatoes onto the flat base and cut slices into the potatoes, but not right through
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Spray with light olive oil and season with salt and cracked black pepper, then roast for 40 minutes
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Wash the beans, and top and tail them
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Finely chop a clove of garlic, take care not to burn it or it will taste bitter
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Use tender eye fillet steak and cook it to your liking.
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Steam the beans until just tender, then secure them with chives
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Combine tomato sauce or paste with Worcestershire sauce
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Add the combined sauces to the hot pan, together with the cornflour and water mixture, and deglaze the pan
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Pour the Diane sauce over the steaks and your retro dinner is served: Steak Diane, Hasselback Potatoes and Bean Bundles. Darn, I forgot the sprigs of parsley!
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Amanda link
2/12/2011 10:38:12 pm

Some 70's classics never grow old. I had a dinner party earlier this year where I served avocado and prawn cocktails, beef Wellington and chocolate mousse. It was a big hit with all present & I loved it.

Lizzy (Good Things)
2/12/2011 10:46:06 pm

LOL, I love the sound of the prawn cocktails... I remember they used to be served in avocado. I bet the music you played was fun too!

Chopinand @ ChopinandMysaucepan link
3/12/2011 08:59:53 am

Dear Lizzy,

Thanks for a wonderful trip back memory lane! As I read this post, I was watching a rerun of Saturday Night Fever on Foxtel and it's pretty hilarious looking at flare pants, platform shoes and body hugging polyester shirts with flappy collars.

The only wines that were available at supermarkets in Kuala Lumpur those days were the Mateus (considered a red wine) and the Blue Nun. The shape of the Mateus bottle was considered "cool" and I believe many households used empty Mateus bottles either as a vase for a single rose or a candle holder.

Your steak diane looks pretty luxurious with that piece of thick fillet. The ones at restaurants those days were always a thin piece of rump (I think) and the sauce always had peas and sliced onions to bulk it up.

I remember the "luxury" steak those days was a thick piece of fillet (just like yours) that was seared on all sides and then placed on a black, cast iron sizzling hot plate in the shape of a cow / bull. Then a thick gravy is poured at the table to make it sizzle and invariably, heads will turn at the restaurant due to all the fuss and fumes from the hot plate. What a "cool spectacle" it was then!

Lizzy (Good Things)
3/12/2011 09:51:07 am

Hello there Chopinand! LOL, I had a youtube link to Staying Alive by the Bee Gees embedded in the post, but decided to take it out. Thanks for reminding me about the Mateus bottles and candles. Even restaurants did that! Great input, thanks again.

Barbara link
3/12/2011 10:07:56 am

OMG your wedding was very seventies. I lived with Bryan for 7 years before we married in 1980. That caused some problems in the family. I was a fallen woman!! Steak Diane was on my dinner party list. I beat the steak to make it really thin. I just did some google research and the thin steak is the traditional way. I guess I had it in a restaurant that way and copied the method.

Lizzy (Good Things)
3/12/2011 10:19:49 am

LOL Barb... we got married in 1978, but lived together for a year beforehand. So, I, too, was a fallen woman. Took my father a while to get used to the idea. The Tess Mallos recipe suggested beating the steak flat, but who wants to waste a nice fillet steak! I used to do it that way, but prefer a thick, juicy steak. Thanks for dropping in! You are always welcome in my kitchen xo

Chopinand @ ChopinandMysaucepan link
3/12/2011 11:10:59 am

Dear Lizzy, Barbara

I would not beat the hell out of a nice piece of fillet either as I prefer a thick and juicy cut too.

On the contrary, I think beating a cheaper cut of rump was probably what the restaurants did to make it look big and tender. I would definitely have a thin piece of steak diane for what its worth. I imagine one would tend to overcook a thin slice and the result is often chewy. Thanks for the tip.

Incidentally, enterprising Chinese food hawkers in Kuala Lumpur are now serving the iconic sizzling steak on the cow-shaped hotplate as street food among local favourites. This dish used to be a top of the line steak at restaurants in the 70s. It is a bit more expensive at RM30 (about A$10) compared to all the local favourites but definitely higher profit margins for the savvy operators and very popular.

As much as I love the local street food, this steak for what its worth at Suzi's corner is always my 70s retro fix whenever I'm in town.

Cheers to steaks from the 70s!

http://www.thefoodaholic.com/2009/07/suzis-steak-corner-ampang-hulu/













Lizzy (Good Things)
3/12/2011 11:34:30 am

LOL, indeed!

celia link
3/12/2011 12:36:31 pm

Beautiful photos, Lizzy! I've never made hasselback potatoes, but I must give them a go, I've now seen them on a couple of blogs, and they look amazing!

Lizzy (Good Things)
3/12/2011 12:55:49 pm

Thanks Celia! Hasselback are so easy to make, very retro! Taste great too.

Sara @ Bellly Rumbles link
3/12/2011 06:58:51 pm

Oh wow, you just took me back to my childhood, mum use to make fancy hasselback potatoes all the time, was very swish.

Confession time, I always have a tin of smoked oysters in the pantry, somethings you just don't grow out of ;)

Lizzy (Good Things)
4/12/2011 06:49:37 am

LOL Sara, gotta love those smoked oysters! Thanks for stopping by.

Deeba Rajpal link
5/12/2011 01:56:40 am

I'm ready for food Lizzy...love the tales from your past, stuffing tomatoes, maroon safari suits, flat lapels ... LOL! What fun!! So much connect and how delicious! Love the plateful at the end...makes me hungry indeed! YUM!

Lizzy (Good Things)
5/12/2011 06:43:17 am

Well hello there Deeba! Thanks for popping in. LOL, indeed it is fun. I would have posted photos of the wedding party, but it may be too embarrassment!


Comments are closed.

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    Photo of Liz Posmyk, Food Writer, Cook and Traveller

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Good Things is written and published by Liz Posmyk © 2011-2020.   All rights reserved.
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