Seared Filet Mignon with Au Blanc Vegetables, Béarnaise & Bordelaise Sauces

Ingredients:

12 oz.
2 oz.
2 oz.
To taste
To taste
2 oz.
2 oz.
4 oz.

Filet Mignon (barrel cut)
whole unsalted butter (cubed)
olive oil
Kosher salt
black pepper (freshly cracked)
Bordelaise sauce (recipe follows)
Bearnaise sauce (recipe follows)
Au Blanc vegetables (recipe follows)

Preparation:

Let the filet come to room temperature (approximately 30 minutes).

Place a pan on the stovetop on high heat and pour in olive oil. While waiting for the pan to heat, generously season both sides of filet with Kosher salt and freshly cracked black
pepper.

The pan should be slightly smoking at this point. Place one side of the filet flat inside the pan and add all of the butter. The butter will foam and begin to turn brown. As the filet sears, continuously baste the filet with the juices from the pan using a spoon. When a golden brown crust has formed, flip the filet over making sure it is flat. Continue basting the filet until it is completely cooked. Place the filet on a wire rack to rest for at least 10 minutes.

To Plate:

First, carefully pour bordelaise sauce in the center of the plate. Place filet on top of the bordelaise. At a 2 o’clock position from the center, plate the au blanc vegetables. Dot the plate with the béarnaise sauce between the au blanc vegetables and the filet.

Au Blanc Vegetables

Ingredients:

12 each
12 each
12 each
4 1/2 tbsp.
To cover
To taste
To taste
To taste
baby carrots (peeled)
red pearl onions (peeled)
cippolini onions (peeled)
whole unsalted butter
water
Kosher salt
black pepper (freshly cracked)
sugar

Parchment paper - cut to size of the pot

Preparation:

In separate pots for each vegetable, place each with enough water to cover by ¼ inch. Add a pinch of salt, 1 ½ tablespoons whole butter and a pinch of granulated sugar to each. Place each on medium heat until the liquid comes to gentle simmer. Once at a simmer, place a parchment paper lid directly onto the vegetables and simmering water. Gently simmer until the vegetables are completely cooked. The water should be completely evaporated and the vegetables should have a butter glaze on them. Adjust the seasoning by adding freshly cracked black pepper first, then taste for salt and add if necessary.

Bordelaise Sauce

Ingredients:

2 liters
.75 liter
2 grams
1 each
5 grams
3.5 grams
75 grams
225 grams
125 grams
15 grams
To taste
To taste
veal or beef stock
cabernet sauvignon
whole black peppercorn
fresh bay leaf
fresh thyme
fresh whole garlic (topped)
button mushrooms (washed and quartered)
shallot (thinly sliced)
carrot (peeled and sliced)
whole parsley - tender stems & leaves
salt
black pepper

Preparation:
In a large pot, add all ingredients except stock. Add a pinch of salt, and on low heat, sweat the vegetables until they are soft and show no color.

Deglaze with the cabernet sauvignon. Bring all ingredients to a simmer and reduce au sec (until almost completely dry). This step is important to cook the wine long enough so that the alcohol has completely evaporated and so that the volume of the wine does not loosen the sauce.  

Add the stock after the wine has cooked down. Simmer on low heat so that the sauce is not boiling but is at a gentle simmer and reduced by 2/3 or until it is the consistency of sauce. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. 

Bearnaise Sauce

Ingredients:

50 grams
50 grams
5 grams
100 ml.
75 ml.
3 each
1 pint
To taste
As needed
tarragon (chopped)
shallot (minced)
black pepper (cracked)
red wine vinegar
white wine vinegar
egg yolk
clarified butter (warm)
tarragon leaves (freshly chopped)
water

Preparation:
Combine tarragon, shallot, black pepper, and both vinegars in a small pot. Place on low heat and reduce the liquid to au sec (until almost completely dry); meaning that there is no liquid left in the pan. It should look like thick syrup with barely enough liquid so that you will need a rubber spatula to remove it from the pot.

To finish the béarnaise sauce: in a bowl combine the above and the egg yolks. Whisk the mixture over a double boiler constantly until the eggs are cooked. You will see the eggs change color, to a pale yellow. The mixture will get thicker and the eggs will be hot.

At this point, remove the egg mixture from the heat and slowly add in the warm clarified butter, in the beginning only a few drops at a time still whisking constantly. As the sauce forms you can begin to add the butter in thin constant streams until all of the clarified butter is incorporated and it is one homogenous mixture. Use warm water to thin to sauce consistency.

Pass the béarnaise sauce through a chinois, and season with salt and pepper and finish with freshly chopped tarragon leaves.

 

 

 


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