Sunday, July 26, 2015

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Reduction and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes for a Copycat #SundaySupper

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Reduction and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes for a Copycat #SundaySupper




It's interesting how history repeats itself. I say that because there are several themes I have addressed in previous posts that are applicable to this dish I am publishing today.

Let me explain.

Earlier this spring, my mother called and insisted upon seeing her granddaughter over the summer. Either she and my father were going to travel up to Washington from California or my daughter would have to fly down there. So a couple of weeks ago, I flew my daughter to California and spent a few days catching up with friends and family and returned home on Independence Day, leaving my daughter behind. It was nice to see everyone and I made sure I made the most of my foodie opportunity but ultimately, I realized that where I grew up isn't home anymore and am happier at my current residence. I was also fortunate to attend this year's Food and Wine Conference and flew back from Orlando last Monday evening. Mrs. Stuntman flew out to California earlier that day to visit and also pick up our daughter to fly home, but they don't return until this evening so I have been by myself all week. Long time readers might remember the last time both my daughter and wife were away when I prepared this steak dish two years ago. The scenario is the same here as it was then: I was only cooking for myself so I figured I could splurge a little without breaking the bank, which is one of the reasons why I chose a filet.

Inspiration Behind the Dish

I couldn't let this week's #SundaySupper theme of Copycat Recipes go by without participating. Within the first six months I had started this site, I organized a group post called Food Unchained where I replicated a baby back ribs recipe inspired by a national restaurant chain. The idea of 'Food Unchained' was to prepare an improved version of a favorite chain restaurant dish with the idea that if the restaurant would replace the blogger's version of their dish it would help the chain's sales. I used the same approach here, however this time, I used a dish off of a different restaurant menu. This time, I was inspired by the Dallas Filet off of the Texas Roadhouse menu. (It's the other reason why I chose a filet.)

Dish Details

Their menu specifies that the filet includes two side dishes but let's assume the first side is a salad which will act as an appetizer course. For the second side, I was inspired by a baked potato. After all, my version is fundamentally prepared in the same way, but seasoned in a different manner. I will admit that this dish looks a lot like one I prepared about a year ago for the Conference, however I wanted to try something I saw during a cooking demonstration by Chef Michael Ollier of Certified Angus Beef® over this past weekend. Chef Ollier demonstrated a simple pan sauce for beef but he finished it off with tomato paste instead of butter. Would that one ingredient substitution make a huge difference in the sauce?

I adapted this dish from a few different sources. I used the cooking method (i.e. oven temperature and roasting time) from a Tyler Florence dish that can be found on foodnetwork.com. I recommend taking one extra step with the filet that I failed to do here that I will describe below. For the pan sauce, I used the basic sauce making technique found on page 75 of Think Like A Chef by Tom Colicchio with Catherine Young, Lori Silverbush and Sean Fri which was reinforced by a dish on Certified Angus Beef®'s blog, Go Rare. A YouTube video demonstrating the recipe can be found here.

Ingredients

1/4 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus more, if needed
1 8-ounce filet mignon, approximately 1-inch thick
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef or veal stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Whole rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Method

1. Roast the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 500° Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place on a middle rack while the oven is preheating. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic, rosemary and olive oil. Once the oven has reached it's temperature, place the potatoes onto the warmed sheet pan, close the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 425° Fahrenheit. Roast in the oven until the potatoes have a crisp exterior but a soft interior, approximately 20 minutes.

2. While the potatoes roast, sear the steak. Heat the vegetable oil in a stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium high heat, then season the filet with salt and pepper. Put the filet into the skillet to sear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm to allow for carryover cooking.

3. Prepare the pan sauce. Reduce the heat of the skillet to medium, then add more vegetable oil if necessary, up to an additional 1 tablespoon. Add the shallots to sweat, approximately 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon garlic to the shallots and cook until fragrant, an additional minute. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up the fond, then simmer until it's reduced by half. Add in the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce the sauce until it has a syrup-like consistency, then stir in the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. To plate, place the potatoes on one side of the plate, then the filet on another. Spoon some sauce over the filet, then garnish with a rosemary sprig or two.


Final Thoughts

From an execution standpoint, I was a bit off my game the evening I prepared this dish, in fact I made a couple of rookie mistakes. The filet was a little undercooked for my taste, so if I were to prepare this dish again, I would place the pan in the oven on a different rack than the potatoes immediately after turning the filet until the desired doneness is reached. Keep in mind that the steak still should be slightly under the desired doneness (i.e. cook to rare in order to achieve medium rare) to allow for carryover cooking. (The temperature of the meat will rise about 5° Fahrenheit as it rests).

In addition, I also slightly burned the shallots because the pan was a little too hot when I added them and I failed to reduce the oven temperature once I placed the potatoes on the hot sheet pan, so I had to scramble and hide the burned herbs and garnish the potatoes with thyme leaves for presentation. Speaking of the potatoes, I'd increase the amount of the potatoes, garlic and rosemary if more than 1 filet is to be prepared. Despite my issues, it was still the best thing I ate since I returned from the Food and Wine Conference.

If you look around the Texas Roadhouse website, they do demonstrate in a video the process of preparing their ribeye steaks, they pan sear before finishing them off on the grill but I can't imagine they would apply the same process to their filet because it would be overcooked. Furthermore, many steakhouses utilize an infrared broiler, so I'm unsure what this company is trying to achieve by this process.

I'd like to thank Coleen of The Redhead Baker for hosting this week's #SundaySupper event. Also, I plan on posting my review of the 2015 Food and Wine Conference later this week but until then, be sure to visit these other Copycat Recipes:

Drinks
Appetizers
Condiments
Main Courses
Side Dishes
Desserts

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Halibut with Sugar Snap Peas, Mushrooms and Potatoes en Papillote for a Farmstand Food #SundaySupper

Halibut with Sugar Snap Peas, Mushrooms and Potatoes en Papillote for a Farmstand Food #SundaySupper




I guess you can call it history repeating itself. If you're reading this on the day it's published, I am currently out of town at Food and Wine Conference in Orlando. If you remember, I published a baby backs ribs dish when I was at the Conference last year, however this year I have the pleasure of co-hosting this week's #SundaySupper event of Farmstand Food with Colleen of FoodieTots.

Inspiration Behind the Dish

The cloaest I have been able to find in my area to a farmstand is a farmer's market and the day I picked up ingredients for my squid ink pasta dish I also noticed some sugar snap peas. I've gotten into the habit of bringing my copy of The Flavor Bible when I go and a quick check yielded halibut, potatoes and mushrooms as complementary foods.

Dish Details

I adapted this recipe I found on myrecipes.com. This cooking technique originates out of France, however I've yet to see it on a menu at a French restaurant.

Ingredients

4 baby potatoes, quartered
6 ounces sugar snap peas, edges trimmed
1/2 carrot, julienned
4 ounces assorted mushrooms (I used cremini, oyster and shiitake but use whatever you have on hand)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 6-ounce halibut fillets
Lemon slices, for garnish

Special equipment: Parchment paper

Method

1. Prepare the pouches. Cut parchment paper into 4 equal size sheets approximately 18-inches by 24-inches. Fold each sheet in half lengthwise and cut the corners so each sheet looks similar to a teardrop. When you unfold the parchment, it should look like a Valentine's Day heart. Set aside.

2. Par-cook the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 450° Fahrenheit, then bring a medium saucepan filled with salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and boil for 2 minutes, then add the sugar snap peas. Continue to boil for an additional minute, then remove the peas and potatoes with a slotted spoon and immediately submerge into a bowl with ice water. Once cooled, drain the ice water from the vegetables and toss in a medium bowl the carrots, mushrooms, olive oil and herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

3. Prepare the packets and steam. Divide the vegetables into four equal portions and place one portion on a sheet of parchment paper in the center, but just off to one side of the crease. Season the halibut with salt and pepper, then lay a fillet on top of the vegetables and refold the empty side of the parchment back over the food. Seal each pouch by folding the parchment as demonstrated in this YouTube video. Repeat this process 3 additional times for each pouch. Carefully place the pouches onto a sheet pan, then place in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Once the pouches have been removed from the oven, let them rest for 5 minutes to allow for any carryover cooking. Serve by placing each pouch onto a warmed plate. Allow each diner to open the pouches by tearing the top of the parchment and garnish with lemon.


Final Thoughts

The term en papillote is French for "in parchment" but this cooking technique works equally well with aluminum foil. The dish itself was well balanced and Mrs. Stuntman requested I prepare it again.

Before you go, please check out other dishes using farmstand food prepared for this week's #SundaySupper event:

Appetizers, Sides and Salads
Entreés
Desserts

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Preview of a Farmstand #SundaySupper


One of the simpler pleasures in life, for me at least, is stopping by a roadside farmstand to look through produce for sale. Unfortunately, these establishments are disappearing in this day and age so it's even more important to patronize them whenever possible. Fortunately, the team at #SundaySupper Movement has used these treasured finds as it's theme, Farmstand Food and this week, I'm co-hosting with Colleen of FoodieTots.

I offer this preview of dishes that are scheduled to be published t his upcoming Sunday:

Appetizers, Sides and Salads
Entreés
Desserts

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Squid Ink Tagliolini with Bay Scallops and White Wine

Squid Ink Tagliolini with Bay Scallops and White Wine




Since visiting the Redmond farmer's market about a month ago, two have opened up closer to me in the city of Kirkland and I was able to get over to one that opens on Wednesday afternoons recently and picked up some arugula and basil, among other items.

Inspiration Behind the Dish

One of the venders present was a company called La Pasta LLC that was selling fresh pasta. I first dismissed their booth because I can make fresh pasta at home but when I passed by it again, I noticed they sold squid ink tagliolini so I made the purchase because I haven't been able to find squid ink locally. Yes, I've looked.

Dish Details

The Flavor Bible doesn't address squid ink directly but it does address squid and many of the foods that are complementary to shellfish also pair well with squid such as lemon, garlic, white wine, parsley and butter. I also googled other squid ink pasta dishes and the general sense was to use more seafood with a very simple sauce, so I used a linguini and clams dish from page 113 of Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking by Michael Chiarello with Janet Fletcher as an inspiration but this is a Crazy Foodie Stunts original. I'd imagine that a version of this dish would be common at trattorias along the Italian coasts.

Ingredients

1/2 pound bay scallops
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound squid ink tagliolini
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Method

1. Fire a large pot of well salted pot of water over high heat. Separately while you wait for the water to boil, pat the scallops dry with paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the scallops to sear, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove the scallops to a plate and set aside, then add the garlic and sauté until it starts to brown, an additional minute. Deglaze the pan with the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the fond from the bottom of the pan. While the sauce is reducing, drop the pasta into the boiling water. (La Pasta LLC instructs a 3 minute boil but I boiled my tagliolini for only 2 minutes). Drain the pasta and add to the simmering wine, then toss with the butter until it melts. Serve into warm bowls garnished with the flat leaf parsley.


Final Thoughts

If squid ink pasta proves difficult to source, you could easily substitute egg linguine but if you're going to use dried pasta, start the boiling process before searing the scallops because dried pasta will need to boil longer. That being said, fresh pasta isn't really boiled, so much as it's blanched because it's normally just a minute or two until it floats to the top of the pot, which is the indicator that fresh pasta is cooked. Overall, Mrs. Stuntman wasn't sure what to think of the black pasta I served her but I appreciated the briny flavor the pasta added to the dish.

La Pasta LLC is so small, it doesn't even have it's own website but encourages you to 'Like' their facebook page. Unfortunately, they also are unable to ship outside the Puget Sound area. This is fresh (i.e. perishable) pasta, folks and they can't guarantee the quality of their product if they were to send it across the country. Instead, I highly recommend seeking out local pasta producers at a farmer's market near you.

If you do live in the area, they have storefronts in the Wedgewood neighborhood of North Seattle at 9118 35th Ave NE and in downtown Kirkland at 340 Parkplace Center in addition to summer booths at Columbia City Farmer's Market and Kirkland Wednesday Market on Wednesdays; Bellevue Farmer's Market and on Thursdays; Juanita Friday Market and Phinney Farmer's Market on Fridays; Bellevue Farmer's Market and University District Farmer's Market on Saturdays and lastly Capitol Hill Broadway Farmer's Market, Lake Forest Park Farmer's Market, Mercer Island Farmer's Market and West Seattle Farmer's Market on Sundays.