Tournedos Louis Armstrong
Here is yet another creative variation on the “surf-and-turf” theme: shrimp and tournedos. Chef Armand Jonte suggests a variation of placing the corn pancake on top of the tournedo, keeping the pancake crisper. Multiply the recipe as necessary for the number of servings you need.
Ingredients
- Corn Pancakes
- Ear Corn - 1, shucked
- Egg - 1
- All-Purpose Flour - 3/4 cup
- Corn Flour (meal) - 1/2 cup
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 3/4 cup
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of baking powder
- Pinch of cayenne
- Sugar - 1 tablespoon
- Green Onion - 1, chopped
- Red and Green Bell Pepper - 1/2 cup, diced
- Clarified Butter - 3 to 4 tablespoons
- Tournedos
- Beef Tournedos - two, 4- to 4-1/2-ounce
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Olive Oil - 1/3 cup
- Shrimp - 2 large, peeled and butterflied
- Creme de Cassis Sauce
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Shallots - 3, diced
- Creme de Cassis - 1/3 cup
- Beef demi-glace - 1/2 cup
- Unsalted Butter - 1 to 2 tablespoons
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Asparagus - 6, long spears, tough part removed, blanched
Instructions
To make the pancakes: Cut the kernels form the corn. Blanch in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving the water. In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients except the corn and clarified butter. Process until well blended. Stir in the corn and thin with some of the reserved corn water if necessary.
In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the clarified butter and cook the pancakes, using 1/4 cup of batter for each, for about 2 minutes, until the edges are firmed and holes appear in the top side. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.
To make the tournedos: Rub the tournedos with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the tournedos for 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Transfer to warm plates. In the same skillet, saute the shrimp for 1-1/2 minutes, or until pink and opaque; set aside.
To make the sauce: In a medium saute pan or skillet, melt the butter and saute the shallots for 1-1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the cassis, heat, avert your face, and light the mixture with a long match, shaking the pan until the flames subside. Add the demi-glace. Simmer for 2 to 2-1/2 minutes, or until reduced by one third. Swirl in the butter and strain through a fine-meshed sieve.
To serve: Melt the butter in a medium saute pan and saute the asparagus until reheated. Place three asparagus spears across the center of each plate. Place a pancake on one side of the asparagus on each plate and place a tournedo on top of each. Spoon sauce over the tournedos, and across the open sides of the plates. Top each tournedo with a shrimp.
