I’ve mentioned how I’ve kind of been slacking in the cooking department lately. Since Lloyd and I got engaged, we’ve been busy bees, leaving little time for tasty week night meals or quality time together. Lloyd jokes that I tricked him into proposing. I cooked and baked like a good little (future) wifey, he finally puts a ring on it, and BAM! No more dinner for Lloyd.
I actually cringed last week when I saw FOUR empty Papa Gino’s boxes in the recycling bin. I knew it was high time I cooked the boy some real food. Not that Lloyd ever complains about take out. By now you know that he loves McDonald’s, Papa Gino’s, and gas station rib sandwiches. He’s easy to please.
But… I have a food blog. I can’t let it get out around town that my future husband has been eating from the local Mobil. Nosiree, Bob!
Steak au Poivre
Serves 4
Ingredients
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4 tenderloin steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each and no more than 1 1/2 inches thick
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Kosher salt
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2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter
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1 teaspoon olive oil
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1/3 cup Cognac, plus 1 teaspoon
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1 cup heavy cream
Directions
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Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour prior to cooking. Sprinkle all sides with salt.
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Coarsely crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, the bottom of a cast iron skillet, or using a mallet and pie pan. Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats the surface. Set aside.
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In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan. For medium-rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Once done, remove the steaks to a plate, tent with foil and set aside. Pour off the excess fat but do not wipe or scrape the pan clean.
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Off of the heat, add 1/3 cup Cognac to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match. Gently shake pan until the flames die. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the teaspoon of Cognac and season, to taste, with salt. Add the steaks back to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and serve.
Mini Pommes Anna
Yields about 12
Ingredients
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2 lb. bag of petite Yukon gold potato
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5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
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1 ½ tablespoon of kosher salt
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2 teaspoon of black pepper
Directions
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Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter walls of muffin wells.
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Wash and peel potatoes. Slice potatoes as thin as you can with a knife or use vegetable peeler to get paper thin slices. Placed sliced potatoes in a bowl and toss with melted butter. Start in the center and form the first layer by overlapping each slice in a circular pattern. Lightly sprinkle layer with salt and pepper. Arrange second layer working in the opposite direction of the first. Lightly sprinkle layer with salt and pepper. Continue layering potatoes in opposite directions, sprinkling with salt and pepper along the way until pan wells are filled to the top.
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Cover top of pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about another 15 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown. To remove, cover the top of pan with foil and turn it upside down onto the foil. Transfer released Mini Pommes Anna to platter and serve.
White Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan
Serves 4
Ingredients
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1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
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2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
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2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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1 teaspoon lemon zest
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salt and pepper
Directions
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Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal.
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Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon rind. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.
“Au poivre” sounds all fancy-like, but it really just means… “with pepper.” A lot of pepper. Both sides of the steak were seasoned with aromatic crushed peppercorns, which resulted in a well-seared crust with a kick. I cooked these babies to perfection. These filets all but melted in our mouths.
The best part of the recipe was igniting the match after adding the brandy to the pan.
Ignite I did. The flames were so furious that I panicked, waiting for Lloyd to walk into the kitchen and ask me what the %@#* I was doing. I can’t blame him. I’m kind of a klutz. I didn’t worry about burning down the house. Rather, I feared for my eyebrows. If they went up in flames, I’d be drawing them on for the rest of my life.
No worries, folks. The eyebrows are intact. So is the kitchen. Moving on.
The combination of the sweet brandy, spicy peppercorns, and the heavy cream made for a rich and luxurious sauce. Complex flavors, silky smooth texture, over a perfectly seared hunk of filet. Win-win!
The mini pommes anna were so much more than just pretty piles of potatoes. Their stunning presentation was matched by their decadent flavor. Dripping in savory butter and salt, they tasted like soft, slightly crunchy stacks of potato chips. They proved to be the perfect pairing for the steak au poivre. Last, but certainly not least, the white asparagus was some of the best I’ve ever tasted. White asparagus tastes pretty much the same as green, but the flavor is more mild. Tossed with oil and butter, then mixed with a dusting of lemon zest and parmesan cheese, simple ingredients came together to create a side dish that was restaurant-worthy.
This entire meal was out of this world, and a diet buster for sure.
The number of calories consumed were my punishment for making this meal on none other than Good Friday.
If eating steak on Good Friday is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.
