Filet Mignon with Shiitake Mushroom and Cabernet Sauce, and Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Onion
For meat and potato lovers! This recipe makes a fine steak fabulous by crowning it with an excellent mushroom and red wine sauce, and makes good mashed potatoes great by adding roasted onion and garlic.
Ingredients
- Filet Mignon
- Filets mignons - 4 (8 oz each)
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Shallots - 1 tablespoon, chopped
- Shiitake Mushrooms - 1 cup, stemmed and sliced
- Bourbon - 2 tablespoons
- Demi-glace (recipe follows) - 1/2 cup
- Cabernet Sauvignon - 1/2 cup (alt. other red wine)
- Madeira - 1/4 cup (alt. dry sherry)
- Sweet Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Onion
- Onion - 1, unpeeled
- Garlic - 2 heads, outer papery husk removed
- Olive Oil - For rubbing
- White baking potatoes - 3 large, peeled and cubed
- Unsalted Butter - 6 tablespoons
- Milk - 1/2 cup, heated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
To prepare the filets: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brown the filets on all sides in 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy ovenproof saute pan or skillet. Bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until medium rare. Set filets aside and keep warm. Transfer the filet pan to a burner on top of the stove, add the shallots and mushrooms to the pan, and saute until the shallots are translucent. Add the bourbon. Avert your face, ignite the bourbon with a long match, and shake the pan until the flames subside. Add the demi-glace and wines and cook over medium heat to reduce until thickened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
To prepare the potatoes: Preheat to oven to 375 F. Rub the onion and garlic with olive oil and roast for about 30 minutes, or until slightly browned and softened. In a large saucepan, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water to cover until tender, about 30 minutes. Peel the onion and puree it in a blender or food processor. Slice the garlic heads in half crosswise and squeeze out the garlic pulp; combine with the onion puree. Mash the potatoes with the onion-garlic mixture until soft. Add the butter, hot milk, and seasonings and mash together until fluffy.
To serve: Place a filet on each of four warmed serving plates. Pour the sauce over the filets and serve beside the mashed potatoes.
Demi-Glace
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the bones in a large baking pan and roast until browned, about 30 to 40 minutes. Add the carrots, onions, and celery and roast for 20 minutes more. Add the tomato paste, stir, and continue roasting for 10 minutes. Place on the stove top, pour in the wines, and cook over medium heat, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Place in a heavy stockpot, add the water, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, and simmer gently for 24 hours; check and add water if necessary to keep the bones covered. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Cook the strained sauce over medium heat to reduce to the consistency of heavy cream. The sauce may be used immediately, covered and refrigerated for 3 days, or frozen for later use.
