Balsamic Roasted Beef with herb crust

Ingredients

120 ml olive oil

80ml balsamic vinegar

1 large bunch of thyme, stalk removed

3 cloves of garlic

Sea salt

Black pepper

1.5 kg piece of fillet beef, trimmed

1 large bunch of lat leaf parsley, finely chopped

5 tbsp finely chopped mixed herbs, such as tarragon, thyme and oregano

Good quality mayonnaise with a tablespoon of Dijon mustard

Roasted baby potatoes, partly boiled and then roasted in olive oil.

Procedure

Combine olive oil, vinegar, thyme and garlic in a bowl and season with sea salt and black pepper. Place beef in a plastic or stainless steel container, pour over marinade, turn to coat and refrigerate at least 4 hours, even better over night, turning occasionally. Remove beef from refrigerator one hour before cooking, so it comes to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 240°C/475°F/Gas 9. Drain beef from marinade, place on a pre-heated, lightly oiled oven tray and roast for 20 mins, turn and cook for another 15 mins or until cooked to your liking. Remove from oven and cool.

Place a large piece of cling film on a work surface and scatter remaining herbs over beef. Season to taste, then wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours. Unwrap, slice thickly and serve at room temperature with mayonnaise and crunchy roasted potatoes.