Makes 6-8 portions
• 6-8 good quality beef fillets
• 250g butter
• 3 medium shallots, peeled and very finely diced
• 1 cup Merlot
• ½ tsp espelette peppers (medium-hot French red pepper flakes, available in good food stores)
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 anchovy fillet, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove garlic, minced
1. Soften butter at room temperature. In a saucepan, combine the shallots, wine, bay leaf, anchovy and garlic. Reduce to a syrup on a low heat. Remove the bay leaf and set aside.
2. In a bowl, beat the butter until creamy, then add the Dijon mustard and espelette flakes. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Add syrup to the butter mix.
3. Roll out a sheet of baking paper about 40cm-wide and spread the butter, forming into a log. Roll the baking paper up around the butter to enclose in a cylinder shape (ensure the baking paper is tightly rolled to avoid air pockets). Refrigerate until hard.
