Wasabi and Soy glazed beef, shiitake mushroom's and spiced butternut squash

The Japanese have some of the finest beef in the world, the famous Kobe beef goes for around £200 a kilo but for this recipe a decent rump or fillet cut will give you excellent results. Paired with rich shiitake mushrooms and delicately szechuan spiced squash this is a real taste of Asia.


Serves 2
Two large fillet or rump steaks, around 300-400g total
2 Tablespoon's dark soy sauce, plus extra 2 tablespoon's for the sauce
1 Tablespoon honey, plus one extra tablespoon for the sauce
1 Tsp wasabi, plus one teaspoon for the sauce
50ml Vegetable stock
2 Tablespoon's rice vinegar
Vegetable oil

Mushrooms

1.5cm piece ginger, peeled and sliced finely
2 Cloves garlic, peeled and sliced finely
Dash of dark soy sauce
2-3 Tablespoon's sesame oil
8-9 Shiitake mushroom's

Spiced Squash

1 Large butternut squash, peeled,cored and cut into 2cm dice
1 Tablespoon's Szechuan peppercorns
4-5 Tablespoon's vegetable oil
50ml Vegetable stock

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and drizzle the 4-5 tablespoon's of vegetable oil into a large roasting tray, leave in the oven to get hot while you prepare the Szechuan pepper, place the peppercorns in a pestle and mortar and pound to a powder-like consistency. Once the oil is hot add the squash and sprinkle over the pepper, add a pinch of salt and roast for 20-25mins, turning regularly. As soon as you place the squash in to cook, prepare the meat.

2. While the squash is cooking, place the soy sauce,honey and wasabi into a bowl and mix well, coat the beef and leave to marinade in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Once marinated leave to stand for 5-10 minutes to come up to room temperature.

3. Remove the squash from the oven, it should now be tender and easily pierced with a knife without resistance. Place into a food processor with the vegetable stock and blitz to a rustic mash consistency, check the seasoning and place into a clean pan, keep warm.

4. Heat a dash of vegetable oil in a frying pan over a high heat and when smoking hot add the steaks, fry for 2-4 minutes each side depending on how you like your meat (2 minutes for rare, 4 for medium-well) only turn the meat once. Remove from the pan onto a plate to rest for 4-8 minutes.

5. De-glaze the pan the steaks were cooked in with the rice vinegar, add the soy sauce, wasabi,honey and any remaining marinade, set the pan over a medium heat and reduce gently until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Keep warm.

6. Heat the sesame oil in a wok over a high heat until smoking, add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds, add the mushrooms and stir-fry for another 30 seconds to a minute, add the soy sauce and toss the mushrooms to coat.

7. To serve, place the steaks alongside a mound of the spiced squash and add the mushroom's, pour over the sauce and enjoy.