Tournedos Persane

Tournedos Persane (butter-seared beef with rice-stuffed green capsicum and fried banana) teaches orchestration. The one true thing to know is this: the beef waits for nothing. Its tomato pedestal, braised capsicum, fried banana, warm platter, and sauce must all be ready before the tournedos touch the pan.

The original kitchen assumed a saucier at your elbow, stock never off the fire, a salamander for the tomatoes, and enough hands to fry, braise, sear, and plate together. At home, the Châteaubriand sauce remains a finished preparation made ahead, good unsalted stock supplies the braise, and the oven broiler does the salamander's work. Cooking the garnishes in order and holding them briefly replaces the brigade. One cook, one stove, one evening.

The brigade's many holding pans were scaffolding and can go. The butter sear, grilled tomato below, rice-stuffed capsicum above, twelve fried banana slices in the centre, and Châteaubriand sauce passed apart are the dish itself, so every one stays. Before you touch the beef, warm the platter and finish everything else.