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1
Season the flank steaks with salt. Place the bay leaves, garlic, lemon juice, thyme, pepper, a hefty pinch of salt, and the olive oil into a blender (not a food processor) and blend until the marinade is creamy.
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2
Remove three tablespoons of the marinade to a small bowl and reserve. Place the steaks into a small casserole. Spread the marinade over the steaks evenly. Cover and let marinate for 4 to 8 hours but not longer then 8.
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3
Fire your grill up for direct heat cooking. Combine the parsley, shallots and capers into the small bowl with the reserved marinade and mix. Season with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Stir, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Set aside.
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4
If you are making the cottage fries place enough oil into a 3 1/2 quart high sided cast iron pot to come no further then 1/3 up the side of the pot. Place it over medium low heat and place a deep fry thermometer into the pot. You will want to check the heat of the oil while you are doing other things and if it gets to 350?F turn the heat to low. In the end you want the temp to be 350 and no higher. Combine the seasoned flour and the cornmeal in a large paper or plastic bag.
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5
Scape all the marinade off the steaks. Don't wash them and it doesn't have to be spotless. If the grill is as hot as you can get it then you are ready to sear the steaks. Sear them making a nice cross pattern with the grill marks. When the steaks are rare remove them to a pan and let them rest for at least fifteen minutes. Add the pan juices from the rested steaks to the parsley mix and combine.
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6
At the end of the rest time for the steaks place them back on the grill to warm them or cook them to your desired temp. I like them medium rare to just short of medium because I find they have less chew and are more tender at this temp while still retaining a good amount of juiciness but cook it how you like it.
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7
Immediately after you put the steaks on to warm them, have your oil at 350? F and crank the heat up under the oil to high and carefully add the potatoes a few at a time to the pot. Cook them until browned nicely and then remove them to a paper bag line pan to drain. Season them immediately with salt and pepper. If you want or need to you can always keep the fried and seasoned cottage fries in a 225?F oven and then you can finish the steaks. This will keep them crispy and hot until you have finished everything.
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8
Remove you steaks and slice them thinly. Plate, top with parsley quinelle and put 6 wedges of cottage fries on each plate. Serve immediately and make sure you smear a little of the parsley quenelle onto a fry or two as well as the steak.
