FILET STEAKS WITH MUSHROOM AND MADEIRA SAUCE: FOR LOVE

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Valentines Day is a bit like New Years Eve. There is pressure to perform. While European chocolates and red roses are easy to come by, reservations for dinner are not. Long ago, Mr. PLK and I decided to forgo the manufactured romance of the prixe fix valentines dinner at our favorite restaurant. That is for young lovers with nothing better to do. We had small children at home. They believed that Valentines Day, like Halloween and Christmas, should include them. Their cries of I can’t believe you are going out on Valentines Day combined with the hoopla of overcrowded restaurants and rushed service made our decision to celebrate at home an easy one. Impromptu romance is more appealing anyway.

Now, what to cook? Valentines is on a school night, so we’ll keep it simple, but we’ll make it special. I know the perfect meal. Filets with mushroom and madeira sauce was one of my first posts. The filets themselves are simply pan roasted. They are served on top of a slice of baguette fried in butter and then topped with a fabulous pan sauce which is an easily-made mixture of beef broth, sauteed mushrooms and shallots, and Madeira. The steak is the star of your plate. If you want to keep it simple, serve it with steamed broccoli, roasted Yukon gold potatoes, and a mixed green salad. Buy a beautiful desert from a local bakery or patisserie.

Note: To microwave steam broccoli: slice broccoli into same-size pieces. Rinse and place in a covered microwave-safe dish with 2 Tbsp water. Microwave until crisp-tender, HIGH heat, 3-5 minutes. Drain. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a bit of fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Partially cover to keep warm.

Note: To roast potatoes: Cut waxy potatoes like Yukon gold into quarters. Toss with enough olive oil to coat. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast at 425 until tender, about 20-30 minutes.

This is the steak as it was served when I first posted the recipe. It was part of the menu for a dinner party. The meal was a tribute to Julia Child. All of the recipes were hers. The evening began with cocktails and hard boiled eggs with shrimp stuffing. For the main meal, we began with the tossed green salad with herb vinaigrette. The plate you see above was the main course. On the plate with the filet, you see: buttered asparagus tips and grated potato galettes. I served her chocolate mousse for dessert. It was outstanding, but it did take some time.

FILET STEAKS WITH MUSHROOM AND MADEIRA SAUCE

For 6 Steaks (can be multiplied easily)

Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume I

6 crustless rounds of bread, French or Sourdough, about 2 ½ inches in diameter and ¼ inch thick

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ lb fresh mushrooms, whole if very small, quartered if large

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp minced shallots

¼ tsp salt

Pinch of pepper

6 filet steaks 1 inch thick and 2 ½ inches in diameter, each wrapped in a thick piece of bacon secured with a toothpick

2 Tbsp butter, more if needed

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 or 2 heavy skillets just large enough to hold the steaks easily

½ cup beef stock or broth

1 Tbsp tomato paste

¼ cup Madeira mixed with ½ Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp minced parsley, tarragon and chervil, or parsley only

1. FIRST, FRY THE ROUNDS OF BREAD: Heat olive oil and melt butter over MEDIUM HIGH heat. When hot and bubbling, add bread rounds and sauté to brown lightly on each side. Reheat them for a minute in a 350° oven just before serving.

2. NEXT, CHOP AND SAUTÉ THE MUSHROOMS AND SHALLOTS: Heat olive oil and melt butter over MEDIUM HIGH heat. When hot and bubbling, add mushrooms and sauté to lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to MEDIUM and stir in shallots. Cook 2-3 minutes more. Season and set aside.

3. NOW, SAUTÉ THE STEAKS: Dry steaks on paper towels. Heat olive oil and butter over MEDIUM HIGH heat. When butter foams and then begins to subside, add steaks and sauté to medium rare, 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat immediately. Discard bacon and season steaks with salt and pepper. Place each steak on a piece of bread and keep warm while making the sauce.

4. MAKE THE SAUCE: Pour fat out of skillet then stir in the stock and tomato paste. Boil rapidly and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the sauce to 2-3 Tbsp. Add the starch and wine mixture to the sauce and boil rapidly until the alcohol evaporates and the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add sautéed mushrooms and simmer for 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. SERVE: Plate the bread and steak canapé. Spread mushroom sauce over the steaks and sprinkle with herbs.

Note: Put a dab of the sauce on the side for the children in your group who don’t like different foods to touch.

Peace and love from my kitchen to yours,

Waverly