Date Night Recipe: The Steak Frites That Rivals Our Favourite Bistro

Some dinners are worth leaving the house for. Others make you wonder why you ever bothered.

Steak frites has become one of my favourite date night recipes for exactly that reason. It feels indulgent enough for a candlelit dinner for two, yet simple enough to make on an ordinary evening at home.

For this version, I picked up a beautiful steak from our local butcher and served it with golden roasted potatoes, buttery shallots deglazed with white wine, and a simple green salad. We opened a bottle of Côtes du Rhône, lit the candles, and suddenly dinner at home felt remarkably close to one of our favourite little bistros.

That’s really the philosophy behind these recipes. Romance doesn’t always require reservations, an anniversary, or somewhere extraordinary to go. Sometimes it’s simply deciding that tonight deserves a little more attention.

A good bottle of wine. A beautifully set table. Something delicious cooking in the kitchen. And enough time to sit across from each other and linger.

This is steak frites for the nights when you want staying home to feel like the date.

Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

• 1 large, good-quality steak, about 400–500 g, ideally from your local butcher
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

• 500–600 g small golden potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or another firm, golden variety
• 1–2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp butter
• Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F.

Cut the potatoes into quarters. Place them on a baking tray, drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme.

Toss well, then arrange them in a single layer, ideally with one cut side against the tray.

Roast for approximately 30–40 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and crisp around the edges and tender inside.

Remove the steak from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking so it can lose some of its chill.

Pat it thoroughly dry with paper towel and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a heavy frying pan over medium-high to high heat until very hot. Add the olive oil, followed by the steak.

For a medium-rare steak, cook for approximately 1 minute on the first side, then flip and cook for another 1 minute, depending on its thickness.

Lower the heat, add the butter, crushed garlic and thyme. Once the butter begins to foam, tilt the pan slightly and continuously spoon the fragrant butter over the steak for 1-2 minutes.

Transfer the steak to a plate or board and let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing.

While the steak rests, melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium-low heat.

Add the sliced shallots. Sauté gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of dry white wine, scraping up all the flavorful browned bits, and let it reduce until the shallots are glossy and the wine has almost completely evaporated.

They should be sweet and buttery rather than crisp.

Slice the rested steak against the grain and serve immediately with the golden potatoes, sautéed shallots and a simple green salad.

• Buy the steak from your local butcher if you can. When the recipe is this simple, the quality of the meat really matters.
• Take the steak out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking so it cooks more evenly.
• Pat the steak completely dry before it hits the pan. That’s what helps you get that beautiful crust.
• Don’t skip the resting time. Give it 5–10 minutes before slicing so the juices stay in the meat.
• For medium-rare, use temperature rather than relying only on time: aim for roughly 54–57°C / 130–135°F after resting.
• Choose a dry white wine for deglazing the shallots (and pour yourself a little glass while you cook if you like).
• For the pairing, I love a Côtes du Rhône AOP. I especially like looking for a bottle marked Domaine; Côtes du Rhône is generally approachable and fruit-forward enough that it can work beautifully for a date night even when one person isn’t a huge red-wine drinker.

Set the table properly, light the candles, open a bottle of Côtes du Rhône, and take a few minutes to get ready before dinner. Even when you’re staying home, a little anticipation can make the evening feel entirely different.