Ingredients

Method

• 3 tomatoes, halved
• 1 T olive oil, plus extra for frying
• 1 t sugar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 400 g beef fillet
• 125 g buffalo mozzarella, sliced
• 30 g rocket leaves
• 4 Portuguese rolls, toasted
• 70 g Parmesan, shaved
• Aïoli, for serving (see harissa chicken burger for aïoli recipe)
For the tomato relish:
• 1 T olive oil
• 200 g Rosa tomatoes, halved lengthways
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 2 t white sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 35 g tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 T parsley, finely chopped
For the polenta chips:
• Olive oil, for greasing
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 1 litre water
• 500 g polenta
• 35 g Parmesan, finely grated
• 2 cups sunflower oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Brown the beef fillet evenly on both sides. Finish in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, remove and allow to rest. Slice into thin strips using a sharp knife.

To assemble, layer slices of fillet, buffalo mozzarella, rocket leaves, a roast tomato and a dollop of tomato relish on one half of a toasted Portuguese roll. Top with Parmesan shavings and the remaining half of the roll. Serve with crispy polenta chips and aïoli.

To make the tomato relish, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the Rosa tomatoes, shallot and garlic until golden and tender. Add the white wine vinegar and sugar, stirring to prevent it from sticking. Add the lemon juice, tomato paste and water and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until thick. Stir through the chopped parsley.

To prepare the polenta chips, brush two 22 x 30 cm baking trays with olive oil. Bring the stock and water to a boil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Gradually add the polenta in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly until incorporated. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan. Pour the polenta evenly into the prepared baking trays and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Cover with baking paper and chill for 30 minutes.

Turn the polenta out onto a clean work surface, then use a sharp knife to cut it into 2 cm x 8 cm strips. Heat the sunflower oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan until very hot. Add the polenta chips in batches and deepfry for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Season to taste.

Discover more recipes featuring polenta here.