Filet Mignon with Pinot Noir Sauce

This is yet another delicious wine-based sauce with my favorite steak cut, filet mignon.  The original recipe includes directions for popovers, but lacking a popover pan and the desire to make them, I opted for making some roasted Parmesan potatoes, which will be posted tomorrow :)  I renamed the recipe for the blog title this time because 'beef filets with mushroom sauce' is simply not specific enough for me.

Original recipe link:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/beef-filets-with-mushroom

Ingredients:

--sauce--
1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
2 c. boiling water (I will reduce this to 1 1/4 c. next time)
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/3 c. thinly sliced shallots
4 oz. sliced cremini (baby bella) mushroom caps (I weighed after removing stems)
1 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1/2 c. Pinot Noir (I used Bogle brand)
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 T. chopped fresh sage
1 T. chopped fresh thyme

--beef--
1 T. olive oil
up to 4 filets mignons (I used 3, didn't weigh, estimate around 5-6 oz. each)
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Combine porcinis and boiling water in a bowl.  Cover and let mushrooms soak for at least 15 minutes (think I left mine for closer to 30).  Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving both mushrooms and liquid.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add 1 1/2 tsp. oil to pan, swirl to coat.  Add the shallots to the pan and sauté for 1 minute.

3. Add cremini mushrooms to pan and sauté for 2 minutes, or until tender.

4. Add garlic to pan and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

5. Stir in the porcini, kosher salt, and pepper.  Sauté for 1 minute.

6. Add wine to pan and bring to boil.  Cook until liquid nearly evaporates (recipe says around 3 minutes; I think it took more like 5-6).

7. Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

8. Gradually add reserved mushroom soaking liquid, stirring constantly.  (I did not use all the liquid--only about half or slightly over.)  Add until desired thickness is achieved and stir in herbs.  Cook for 2 more minutes.

9. For the beef: heat large skillet (I chose cast iron) over medium-high heat with 1 T. oil.  Season beef with kosher salt and coarse ground pepper as desired and add to skillet.  (My filets are tied around center because I cut them directly from a tenderloin. One of the three I cooked is missing because I'd already taken it out (I like mine much more rare than rest of family.))  Cook until desired doneness and remove from pan.

10. Serve with sauce and enjoy!

Roast Chicken with Fingerling Potatoes

I have made this recipe a few times now and love it every time. The potatoes are just amazing with the tender, barely sweet leeks, and bacon that doesn't overshadow all the other flavors. It's a little involved, so best as a weekend meal :)

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: coming soon!

Entry updated 4 Nov 2024.

Recipe credit: The original came from Fine Cooking, a magazine that is no longer published nor available online.

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

~10 sprigs Italian parsley
4 fresh or dried bay leaves, divided (I used fresh)
1 T. finely chopped fresh thyme (can use the equivalent in sprigs), plus 2 sprigs
2 large leeks (the ones I used were slightly more than the diameter or a half dollar at bottom), white and light green parts halved lengthwise and then cut into 3/8" crosswise slices to obtain 4 cups total, dark green part of one leek chopped and reserved
3 strips thick cut bacon, cut in 3/8" crosswise pieces
1 T. olive oil* (depending on rendered bacon fat amount, may not be needed)
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. fingerling potatoes, sliced in 1/8" rounds
1 1/2 c. chicken broth or stock (I use my homemade stock), plus extra for basting (particularly if your bird is larger than 4 lbs.)
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
dried thyme to season outside of chicken

Directions:

1. Remove giblets packet from chicken (if it has one), discard.  Trim off any excess fat from the cavity and neck, then dry with paper towels.

2. Generously season the chicken inside* and out with 1 T. of kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. coarse ground pepper. (*I forgot to use some on the inside of cavity in the video and it turned out fine!)

3. Stuff the cavity with around 10 sprigs of parsley, 3 of the bay leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme, and the chopped dark green leek part (until cavity is filled; I was not able to use all that I had chopped).  Tuck the wings behind the neck of chicken.  Tie legs together with string. Let chicken rest at room temperature while you complete remaining prep.

4. In a 12" ovenproof skillet (must tolerate 450°F; I used my cast-iron skillet), cook the bacon over medium-high heat, until it just begins to brown at edges. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, reserving the rendered fat in the pan. Pour the rendered fat into a measure, then pour 1 T. back into the pan, reserving the remainder (if any; if you do not have enough, supplement with olive oil).  

5. Reduce heat to medium and add the leeks, garlic, 1 bay leaf, and the chopped thyme (or springs equivalent). Season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are soft and transluscent (5 to 7 minutes). Transfer to a plate/bowl.

6. Heat oven to 450°F.

7. In same pan, arrange half of potatoes in an even layer, then season lightly with salt and pepper (**the pink/purple colored ones in pic are just red fingerlings, not sausage as it might appear lol).

8. Scatter leek mixture over potatoes layer, then top with the cooked bacon. Arrange remaining potatoes in even layer over top of leeks.  Season again lightly with salt and pepper.

9. Pour broth/stock over vegetables.

10. Pour 1 T. of reserved bacon fat into cavity of chicken. Tie legs together to close, if desired. (I've done it both ways, works great either way.)

11. Place the chicken atop the potatoes, breast side up. Brush the melted/soft butter over the chicken skin, then sprinkle with the dried thyme.  

12. Roast the chicken for an hour and check its temperature for doneness. If it's a smaller bird (around 3-4 lbs), it may be done already. If it's on the larger side, reduce the temperature to 425°, baste with the juice in the pan, and continue roasting until done. You may need to add more broth/stock, depending on how long you have to go.

13. Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes (ideally, 15 min.) before carving. Serve with the veggies and enjoy!

Soufflé au chocolat (Chocolate Soufflé)

My first soufflé ever!  I would have posted this two days ago, but for some odd reason my entry did not save and I was too irritated and tired to retype it until now lol.  Anyway, this soufflé seems to be a great choice for a soufflé novice--it forgave me and still behaved correctly despite my failure to notice that my mold was an 8-cup, not a 6-cup, until I had already spooned it in (oops!)  I highly recommend serving ti with vanilla bean ice cream, as shown here:

Link to original recipe:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/chocolate-souffle2.html

Ingredients:

2 T. unsalted butter, plus 1 T. melted butter for brushing soufflé mold
3/4 c. sugar, divided
6 oz. chocolate, 70% cacao, roughly chopped/in pieces
2 T. heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla exract
6 egg whites
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven so that the soufflé will have plenty of room to rise above the mold.  When ready to bake, heat oven to 425°F (recipe indicates that you can prepare the filling and let set at room temp for up to 4 hours prior to baking; I left mine out for about an hour and half, while making dinner.)

2. Brush inside (bottom and sides) of a 6-cup soufflé mold with the 1 T. melted butter.  Coat with 1/4 c. of the sugar and tap out any excess.

3. Place 2 T. butter, the chocolate, and the cream in top part of a double boiler.  In bottom part, add a small amount of water and bring to a simmer.  Hold pan over the simmering water, but NOT touching, and stir the chocolate mixture together until all melted and combined.  Set aside in a warm place.

4. Place egg yolks, vanilla, and 1/4 c. of the sugar in a large bowl.  Use whisk attachment on a hand mixer (or hand blender) to whisk until mixture is thick and ribbony.

5. Stir in chocolate mixture with egg yolk mixture.

6. Place egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in a separate medium or large bowl.  With clean whisk attachment on hand mixer/blender, whisk the whites mixture until foamy.  Slowly add the remaining 1/4 c. sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks stage is reached.

7. Using 1/3 of whites at a time, fold them into the chocolate mixture gently and carefully.

8. Spoon the mixture into prepared soufflé mold, filling it to the rim (or not, as was the case with my mistaken mold size).

9. Bake soufflé for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 400°F. and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes.  Soufflé should rise to around 2 inches above mold (or in my case, up to the rim).

10. Dust top with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Chicken Friand (Tourte au poulet et champignons)

Ooh this one is soooooo good.  As in, "I want to make this again right away"-good.  However, a word of precaution here: as I was unsure of the portions, I decided to attempt to make 1.5 times the original recipe to make sure there would be enough.  There was more than enough for sure.  I didn't get to write this entry directly after making it, though, so I'm hoping that the amounts I include are correct for what I modified.  In the future, I will probably make this in the same amount and just freeze the leftover sauce and chicken so that I can easily have it again some night.

Link to original recipe:
http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-friand-tourte-au-poulet-et-champignons-513419

Ingredients:

3 c. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped in bite-size pieces
5 T. unsalted butter, divided
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste
6 cups sliced button mushrooms
~1 1/2 tsp. herbes de Provence, divided (I didn't actually measure)
1 1/2 c. dry white wine, divided (I used Barefoot Chardonnay)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3/4 tsp. bottled minced garlic
3 T. flour
up to 1 c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 sheets puff pastry, thawed (or 2, if you need 4 servings)
1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.  (Next time, I will wait until when I start making the cream sauce to turn it on, as I'm a slow cook.)  Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Add chicken to large frying pan over medium heat.  Salt and pepper to taste, then add 2 T. butter.  Stir occasionally and cook chicken for about 10 minutes, or until done.  When chicken is done, pour into a strainer over a bowl to reserve cooking juices.

3. Meanwhile, in another large frying pan, add mushrooms and 2 T. butter over medium heat.  Cook until mushrooms give their liquid and it has nearly evaporated.

4. Add 3/4 tsp. of the herbes de Provence to mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute.

5. Add 3/4 c. of the wine to mushrooms and cook until it evaporates.

6. In the pan used for cooking the chicken, add remaining 1 T. of butter over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until soft (I think it was about 2 minutes for mine).

7. Add garlic and remaining 3/4 tsp. of herbes de Provence to onions and cook for about 45 seconds.

8. Whisk flour into onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.

9. Add enough chicken broth to reserved chicken cooking juices to make 1 cup total (**I may have used 1.5 cups total, but I am not certain).  Gradually whisk this into onion mixture.

10. Whisk in remaining 3/4 c. wine.  Add mushrooms to mixture, then stir in cream.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.

11. Cut whole pastry sheet into 2 triangles, and if using the half one, pinch pieces together to make a T shape, if needed.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet.

12. Add 1/3 to 1/2 c. of chicken to each piece of puff pastry.  Top with around 1/4 to 1/3 c. of mushroom cream sauce.  Fold up pastry to enclose the chicken and sauce (some may will leak out, this is ok and messy :)).  Pinch all seams closed as best as possible.

13. Brush each pastry with beaten egg (shown above).  Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden-browned.

14. Top each pastry with remaining mushroom sauce and enjoy! I highly recommend serving with salad, vinaigrette dressing, Asiago shredded cheese, as shown here :)

Tarte Flambée attempt

Tarte Flambée is one of my favorite things to eat in France, especially when I visit the region of its origin, Alsace (one of my favorite parts of France).  I found this recipe and thought it sounded correct, so I gave it a very hopeful try.  Unfortunately, I found that the crust did not match with what I am used to in France; it should be thin and somewhat soft like this, but nowhere near this oily.  I shall find a different recipe and make another attempt soon-ish.  The ingredients are listed in metric because that is how the original had them and I thus measured that way.

Original recipe link:
http://www.food.com/recipe/tarte-flamb-e-els-sser-flammkuchen-365298

Ingredients:

200 g all-purpose flour
2 T. oil
125 mL water
1 pinch salt
200 g onions, sliced thin (preferably with a mandoline)
100 g bacon, cut in small pieces
200 g crème fraîche

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 480°F.

2. Mix together flour, oil, water, and salt to make dough (should not be sticky).  Roll out as thin as possible.

3. Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Once the bacon pieces are just starting to crisp a little, remove bacon and set aside on paper-towel lined plate.

 (don't mind the two slices there in the pic--those are for my kiddo, not the recipe :))

4. Add onions to pan and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute--just enough time to soften them slightly.

5. Place dough on a baking sheet.  Spread crème fraîche all over dough evenly.  Top with bacon and onions.

6. **I added a small amount of shredded Gruyère to the top; this is optional.**

7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are browned.

8. Cut out desired portion and serve.