Ingredients

900g piece of Fillet

300g shallots, halved lengthwise and peeled

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups beef broth

3/4 cup port wine

1 1/2 teaspoons tomato puree

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 slices bacon, diced

3 tablespoons Cheshire butter

1 tablespoon plain flour

4 sprigs watercress, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small roasting pan, toss shallots with oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until shallots are deep brown and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, combine beef broth and port. Bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the volume is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Whisk in tomato puree. Set aside.
3. Pat beef dry; sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. In a large roasting pan, set over medium heat on the hob, fry bacon until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add fillet to pan; brown on all sides over medium high heat, about 7 minutes.
4. Transfer pan to oven. Roast fillet until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125 degrees F (50 degrees C) for medium rare, about 25 minutes, 18 minutes for rare. Transfer fillet to platter. Cover loosely with foil.
5. Spoon fat off top of pan drippings in roasting pan. Place pan over high heat. Add broth mixture, and bring to boil; stir to scrape up any browned bits. Transfer to a medium saucepan, and bring to simmer. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste; whisk into broth mixture, and simmer until sauce thickens. Whisk in remaining butter. Stir in roasted shallots and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Carve fillet into 1/2 inch thick slices. Spoon some sauce over, and garnish with watercress.
7. Serve with a green salad and roasted vegetables."