The perfect steak and other easy dinner recipes by Will and Steve

We think every man and woman in the world should know how to cook a steak properly. It's a useful life skill but, speaking from our own experience, it's not often you come across someone who can cook a steak at home as well as it is cooked in a restaurant.

The perfect steak with truffle butter and parsnip chips

4 x 300g grass-fed rib-eye steaks, cut 3cm thick

Olive oil, for drizzling

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

4 parsnips, thinly sliced lengthways on a mandolin

Truffle butter

100g butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon truffle salsa (or 1⁄2 teaspoon truffle oil)

Sea salt flakes

1. To make the truffle butter, combine the butter, truffle salsa and a large pinch of salt in a small bowl. Keep the butter at room temperature until required.

2. Remove the steaks from the fridge 30 minutes before you begin cooking to allow them to come up to room temperature.

3. Drizzle the steaks with olive oil, rub all over and then season heavily on each side with salt.

4. Heat your barbecue, frying pan or chargrill pan to the highest heat possible.

5. Cook the steaks for three to four minutes, turning every 30 seconds. For the final 30 seconds, place a teaspoon of truffle butter on each steak. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for five minutes.

6. Preheat the vegetable oil to 180°C in a deep fryer or large saucepan. Deep-fry the parsnip for one to two minutes until crisp and slightly golden. Remove, season with salt and drain on paper towel.

7. Place the steak on a chopping board, slice diagonally, and serve with the parsnip chips and the rest of the truffle butter in a side dish.

Note: Truffle salsa is a combination of olives, mushrooms, oils, garlic, truffle and is available at most gourmet delis.

Serves 4

I think we need to be upfront with you about this one. This is going to be expensive, so be very choosy as to who you make these for. You're going to want a day out on a boat or an invite to a harbour party on NYE in exchange for these little luxury rolls.

Lobster rolls with green chilli and mango salsa

4 raw lobster tails, thawed if frozen

Sea salt flakes

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

6 mini brioche rolls

Coriander, to garnish

Salsa

1 mango, diced as small as possible

2 green chillies, deseeded and finely diced

1⁄4 bunch of coriander, finely chopped

1 French shallot, finely chopped

1 lime, juiced

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C.

2. Remove the lobster tails from their shell by running a pair of scissors down each side of the belly. Cut both sides, remove the shell from the belly and pull out the tail. Cut each lobster tail in half lengthways, season with salt and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a frying pan on medium–high heat and quickly sauté the lobster for a minute on each side. Remove from the pan and rest for a few minutes before slicing into 1cm pieces. Combine the lobster and mayonnaise in a bowl.

4. To make the salsa, in a bowl, carefully combine the mango, chilli, coriander, shallot, lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

5. Meanwhile, warm the brioche rolls in the oven for five minutes.

6. Slice the warm brioche rolls and fill with the lobster and salsa. Garnish with coriander.

Makes: 6 rolls

Our version of that classic melon and Parma ham is a little bit more refined: subtle sweetness from the caramelised pear creates the right chemistry with the prosciutto and some shaved pecorino adds a lovely sharpness.

Prosciutto and caramelised pear salad

2 pears, cored and cut into 2cm wedges

3 tablespoons olive oil

1⁄2 lemon, juiced

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

1 frisee lettuce

10 thin slices of prosciutto

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, toasted

50g pecorino cheese, shaved into long strips

1. Heat your chargrill pan or barbecue to hot.

2. Toss the pear with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl.

3. Cook the pear wedges on your chargrill pan or barbecue for one minute on each side until you have dark char marks.

4. Make a bed of the frisee in a large bowl. Now randomly scatter on the pear and twists of the prosciutto. Sprinkle with the sunflower seeds, add the shavings of pecorino and a final drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4

Recipes extracted from Will and Steve: Home Cook, Aspiring Chef (published by Harlequin Books, $39.99).