EN DE FR ES PT IT
Warm Roast Beef Fillet with Café de Paris Sauce and Oven Chips
Recipe

Warm Roast Beef Fillet with Café de Paris Sauce and Oven Chips

Dinner • Switzerland

A balanced, restaurant-classic Geneva pairing made realistic for home: tender roast beef fillet cooked to medium, a herb-spiked Café de Paris sauce made with less butter, and golden oven chips.

Why smarter

Beef fillet is lean and quick to roast, while oven chips use far less oil than deep-frying. The Café de Paris sauce keeps the signature herb-mustard profile but is lightened with a touch of yoghurt and lemon for a more everyday, health-conscious finish.

Chef tip

Use a thermometer for perfect medium: pull the fillet at 54–56°C and rest well; it will rise a few degrees while resting.

Soft line

Serve with a simple green salad or steamed green beans if you want extra vegetables.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 200 g beef fillet (center-cut), trimmed 200.000 g beef fillet Trim visible silverskin and excess fat
2 200 g waxy potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 cm chips 200.000 g potatoes Waxy potatoes hold their shape well
3 2 tsp olive oil 2.000 tsp olive oil
4 1 small clove garlic, finely grated 1.000 clove garlic
5 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 0.500 tsp Dijon mustard
6 20 g unsalted butter 20.000 g unsalted butter For a lighter Café de Paris-style sauce
7 2 tbsp plain yoghurt (or fromage blanc/quark) 2.000 tbsp plain yoghurt Stir in off the heat to keep it smooth
8 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley 1.000 tbsp parsley
9 1 tsp finely chopped chives 1.000 tsp chives
10 1 tsp finely chopped tarragon (or 1/2 tsp dried) 1.000 tsp tarragon
11 1 tsp capers, chopped (optional but classic-leaning) 1.000 tsp capers Optional
12 1 tsp lemon juice 1.000 tsp lemon juice
13 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 0.500 tsp Worcestershire sauce
14 1 tbsp low-salt beef stock or water 1.000 tbsp beef stock Helps loosen the sauce
15 Fine sea salt and black pepper, to taste salt and pepper

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Rinse the cut chips briefly, then pat very dry. Toss with 1 1/2 tsp olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and spread in a single layer on a baking tray. Roast 25–35 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp.
  2. While the chips roast, remove the beef from the fridge for 10–15 minutes. Pat dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
  3. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp olive oil, then sear the fillet 1–2 minutes per side (including edges) until well browned.
  4. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the fillet until medium (about 6–10 minutes, depending on thickness), or until the center reaches 54–56°C. Move the beef to a warm plate and rest 8–10 minutes.
  5. Make the Café de Paris-style sauce: in a small pan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in garlic and Dijon mustard for 20–30 seconds (do not brown). Add stock/water, parsley, chives, tarragon, capers (if using), Worcestershire, and lemon juice. Remove from heat.
  6. Stir the yoghurt/fromage blanc into the warm (not boiling) sauce to lightly cream it. Taste and adjust with pepper, lemon, and a small pinch of salt if needed.
  7. Slice the rested fillet. Serve warm with the Café de Paris sauce spooned over or alongside, and plate with the oven chips.