c/o Gemmarosa Ryan, Food Editor

Nothing livens up a Friday night like a themed dinner. When the days drag on and the bitter gray of Connecticut winter gets to me, I find reprieve in Parisian daydreams: chalkboard bistro menus and chain-smoking retirees sitting at comically small round tables. Escargots are few and far between in these parts (and I’m not equipped to cook them quite yet), but as a new cast-iron owner, a steak frites moment seems feasible. I sent a text out to my anemic friends and got to work. 

Steak Frites with Garlic Aioli

Ingredients

Serves 4–5

• 3–4 New York strip steaks
• 5 Yukon gold or Russet potatoes 
• 1 cup mayonnaise 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 3 tbsp butter 
• Canola oil (a frying amount)

c/o Gemmarosa Ryan, Food Editor

Instructions

1. Grate garlic cloves into mayonnaise, as well as a squeeze (1 tbsp) of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a healthy amount of black pepper. Set aside.
2. Peel and cut potatoes into matchsticks.
3. Place potatoes in a bowl of warm salted water.
4. Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks (1 tsp kosher salt per pound) 
5. Heat a large pot over high, and add canola oil. It should be about 2 inches worth of oil, (enough for a deep-ish fry of the potatoes).
6. Once the oil is glistening, and you can smell it intensely (about 5-6 minutes), drop in 1 fry. If it sizzles immediately on contact, add in the rest of the fries. Work in batches to not overcrowd the oil. 
7. Take the fries out when they turn golden brown and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate. Salt them while they are still hot.
8. If you can multitask while the fries are frying (or have 2 cooks in the kitchen), heat up a cast iron skillet over high heat to get it ripping hot. 
9. Add in the butter and the steaks, lower the heat to medium. Don’t fuss with the steaks for at least 3 minutes, flipping only when the first side is nice and seared. 
10. Flip the steaks and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side. 
11. Tilt the cast iron so that the butter accumulates in a pool, and, using a spoon, baste the steaks for another minute. 
12. Take the steaks out and season with flaky salt (if you have it). Let them rest for a 3–4 minutes. 
13. Cutting against the meat grain, slice the steaks. Add a handful of fries and a healthy dollop of the aioli you made earlier.

I would recommend serving with a peppery and lemony salad of sorts on the side, nothing fancy. I made a simple one with arugula, lemon mustard dressing and some pickled carrots I had on hand.

Gemmarosa Ryan can be reached at gryan@wesleyan.edu.