½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
2 teaspoons olive oil
One 3-pound bone-in rib eye steak, at room temperature for 1 hour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large tiger prawns, heads and shells on (1 pound)
Kosher salt, to taste
½ cup Italian parsley
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon olive oil
Kosher salt, to finish
Directions
Make the garlic confit and potatoes: Preheat the oven to 200°. In a small saucepan, combine the garlic cloves and ½ cup of the olive oil, and cover with foil. Cook in the oven until the cloves soften, about 2 hours. Set aside and let cool to room temperature. Make ahead: The garlic confit can be stored in the oil and refrigerated up to 1 month ahead.
In a medium pot, cover the potatoes with water by 2 inches and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Make ahead: Potatoes can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored in the fridge.
While the garlic and potatoes are cooking, make the vanilla butter: In a small bowl, combine the butter and vanilla, stirring well to mix. Make ahead: Butter can be made up to 4 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
Make the rib eye: Preheat the oven to 350°. Place a grill pan over high heat or a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Season the steak with the salt and cook in the iron skillet, flipping and rotating every 2 minutes, until a deep brown and crusty sear forms, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to the oven and cook until the steak reaches an internal temperature of 125° to 130° for medium rare, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest the steak on its bone for 12 to 15 minutes.
Finish cooking the potatoes: Strain the confit garlic cloves from the oil and set aside. Using the palms of your hands, slightly mash the potatoes on a clean kitchen surface. In a large skillet pan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the potatoes and cook until light brown, 4 minutes. Season with salt, and add the butter and garlic confit, cooking until the butter begins to brown and the potatoes turn dark golden brown and crispy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the cherries and thyme sprigs, letting them crackle in the butter, and immediately remove from the heat and add the lemon juice.
While the steak is resting, cook the prawns: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the prawns with salt and sear in the hot skillet, flipping and rotating until lightly charred and the shells turn bright prink and the meat is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
Assemble the dish: In a small bowl, toss the parsley with the lemon juice and olive oil, and season with salt. Slice the steak off the bone and arrange on the serving platter. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the vanilla butter over the steak and arrange the prawns and potatoes on the board as well. Scatter the cherries, garlic and fried thyme. Garnish with the dressed parsley. Serve.