Sirloin steak with balsamic tomato butter sauce & chips

Put the chips into a mixing bowl. Cover with cold water, add the salt and toss through the water, then leave to soak for 1 hour. Drain, spread over sheets of kitchen roll and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.

Add the 3 tbsp oil into a large baking tray, heat in the oven for 2-3 minutes until shimmering, then carefully tip in the chips. Toss to coat and roast for 45 minutes, turning a couple of times, until golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook for 5-6 minutes, shaking the pan gently, until the tomatoes are softening and starting to collapse and the garlic is fragrant but not coloured. Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar with the sugar and some seasoning, then turn the heat up slightly and bubble gently for a minute or so. Once the tomatoes have softened and the vinegar has emulsified into the butter, turn the heat off and set aside.

Pat the steaks dry, season well with salt and rub with a little oil. Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan or griddle over a high heat. When hot, add the steaks and sear for 2½ minutes each side for medium-rare and browned all over, 3 minutes for medium. Remove from the pan and leave to rest somewhere warm for 2-3 minutes. Tip any resting juices and the basil leaves into the tomatoes, then quickly reheat, allowing the basil to wilt a little. Serve with the steak (on the bone, or off the bone and sliced), the chips and watercress dressed with a little more balsamic and oil, if liked.