Fine Dining - Off The Leash Beef Fillet with Espresso Jus, Celeriac Purée & Charred Baby Carrots

An elegant restaurant-style main course built around precision, balance and bold flavour. Tender beef fillet is paired with a glossy Rescue Roast® Off The Leash espresso jus, silky celeriac purée and charred baby carrots for a dish that feels refined enough for a five-star dining room.

The coffee is used carefully here. Rather than making the sauce taste overtly of coffee, Off The Leash adds roasted depth, bitterness and complexity to the beef jus, giving the dish a darker and more sophisticated finish.

Serves

Serves 4.

Ingredients

For the Beef Fillet

• 4 beef fillet steaks, approximately 180–200 g each
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 40 g butter
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Off The Leash Espresso Jus

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 150 ml good-quality beef stock
• 60 ml red wine
• 30 ml freshly brewed Rescue Roast® Off The Leash espresso
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• 20 g cold butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Celeriac Purée

• 500 g celeriac, peeled and cut into cubes
• 200 ml full-cream milk
• 100 ml fresh cream
• 30 g butter
• Salt, to taste
• Pinch of white pepper

For the Charred Baby Carrots

• 12 baby carrots, peeled and trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 20 g butter
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Pinch of salt

For Garnish

• Fresh thyme leaves
• Microgreens, optional
• Very finely grated dark chocolate, optional and used sparingly

Method

1. Prepare the Celeriac Purée

1. Place the celeriac in a saucepan with the milk and cream.
2. Bring gently to a simmer and cook for approximately 20–25 minutes, or until completely tender.
3. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.
4. Transfer the celeriac to a blender.
5. Add the butter, salt and white pepper.
6. Blend until completely smooth and silky.
7. If necessary, add a small amount of the reserved cooking liquid to achieve a smooth restaurant-style consistency.
8. Pass through a fine sieve for an extra-refined finish.
9. Keep warm.

2. Prepare the Baby Carrots

1. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil.
2. Blanch the baby carrots for approximately 3–4 minutes.
3. Drain and pat dry.
4. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
5. Add the carrots and cook until lightly charred.
6. Add the butter and honey.
7. Toss until the carrots are glossy and lightly caramelised.
8. Season with a small pinch of salt and keep warm.

3. Cook the Beef Fillet

1. Remove the beef from the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before cooking.
2. Pat dry and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Heat a heavy-based frying pan until very hot.
4. Add the olive oil.
5. Place the steaks into the pan and sear without moving them until a deep golden crust develops.
6. Turn and sear the other side.
7. Add the butter, garlic and thyme.
8. Tilt the pan slightly and spoon the foaming butter continuously over the steaks.
9. Cook until the beef reaches your preferred doneness.

Suggested Internal Temperatures

• Rare: 50–52°C
• Medium-rare: 54–57°C
• Medium: 60–63°C

10. Transfer the steaks to a warm plate.
11. Rest for at least 8–10 minutes before serving.

4. Make the Off The Leash Espresso Jus

1. Using the same pan, remove any burnt garlic or herbs while keeping the flavourful pan juices.
2. Add the olive oil and finely chopped shallot.
3. Cook over medium heat until softened.
4. Add the garlic and cook for approximately 30 seconds.
5. Add the red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Simmer until the wine has reduced by approximately two-thirds.
7. Add the beef stock.
8. Add the freshly brewed Rescue Roast® Off The Leash espresso.
9. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar.
10. Simmer gently until the sauce has reduced enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
11. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan.
12. Remove from the heat.
13. Whisk in the cold butter until the jus becomes glossy.
14. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Plating

Presentation matters with this dish, so resist the temptation to overcrowd the plate.

1. Place a generous spoonful of warm celeriac purée slightly off-centre on each plate.
2. Use the back of the spoon to pull the purée into a smooth sweep.
3. Place the rested beef fillet partially over the purée.
4. Arrange three charred baby carrots neatly alongside the beef.
5. Spoon the warm Off The Leash espresso jus around and lightly over the beef.
6. Finish with a few thyme leaves or microgreens.
7. For an adventurous finishing touch, grate the tiniest amount of dark chocolate over the jus immediately before serving.

Why Off The Leash Works in Fine Dining

Fine-dining dishes rely on balance rather than simply adding more ingredients.

The intense roasted character of Rescue Roast® Off The Leash works especially well with beef because it reinforces the flavours created when the meat is deeply seared.

Its subtle dark chocolate and roasted nut character complements the beef, while the natural bitterness of the coffee balances the sweetness of the carrots and the richness of the butter and cream.

Most importantly, the espresso is used with restraint. The finished jus should make diners wonder why the sauce tastes unusually deep and complex rather than immediately thinking, “This tastes like coffee.”

Rescue Roast® Chef's Tip

The secret to this dish is reduction. Do not thicken the jus with flour or cornflour. Allow the stock, wine and Off The Leash espresso to reduce naturally, then finish it with cold butter.

This creates the glossy, intensely flavoured sauce associated with restaurant cooking rather than a traditional gravy.

Bold enough for Off The Leash. Refined enough for white tablecloths. ☕🥩🐾