Fillets of Beef with Mushroom Cognac Sauce
Pan seared beef tenderloin steaks topped with a creamy mushroom sauce, spiked with cognac.
I created this mushroom sauce originally as an accompaniment to prime rib and would serve it in a roasted red bell pepper cup along side a slice of beef. In this version, I dispensed with the red bell pepper and used it as a topped for some pan seared tenderloins, finished with a dash of truffle oil. It’s earth, mushroomy and tastes like fall on a plate. A delicious variation of this dish is to serve the filet on top of a slice of Kitchen Tapestry’s recipe for Crispy Oven Fried Eggplant.
Fillet of Beef with Mushroom Cognac Sauce
Yield: 4
Pan Seared Beef tenderloin steaks topped with a creamy mushroom sauce spiked with cognac.
Ingredients
For the Beef Fillets
- 4 1-1/2" thick tenderloin fillets (about 8 oz each)
- 3 tbsp butter
- freshly cracked black pepper
- course sea salt
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 4 drizzles of white or black truffle oil
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
For the Muchroom Cognac Sauce
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced
- 1 tsp garlic, finely minced
- 3 tbsp red bell pepper, finely minced
- 1 lb Crimini mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 1/4 cup fine cognac or brandy
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 10-12 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
For the Beef Fillets
- Take the beef filets out of the refrigerator two hours before cooking. Salt and pepper both sides of the filet while they are resting.
- Melt butter in a skillet large enough to easily hold the four fillets of beef over medium high heat until hot.
- Put the fillets in the skillet and cook 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove the beef, and then deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up the crusty bits.
For the Mushroom Cognac Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until shimmering, and then sauté the shallots, red bell pepper for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
- Melt the butter in the skillet, and then add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, then stir well and frequently while the mushrooms cook. Allow them to wilt thoroughly and slightly caramelize.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and pour in the cognac. Allow it to rest a minute before returning the skillet to the heat.
- Pour the heavy cream and red wine in with the mushrooms and continue cooking over medium high heat while the liquid reduces by half, about 10 minutes.
- Add the paprika and parsley, and stir to combine.
- Take the mushrooms off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Mix well, and then cover until ready to serve, but leave the pan off the heat. If you return the pan to the heat, the sour cream will curdle.
To Assemble the Dish
- Place a fillet on a dinner plate (or on a slice of Crispy Oven Fried Eggplant).
- Spoon a bit of the deglazing red wine from the skillet in which the fillets were sautéed.
- Ladle on a 1/4 cup of the Mushroom Cognac Sauce.
- Drizzle with White or Black Truffle Oil.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Ⓒ Copyright 2024 Kitchen Tapestry - All Rights Reserved
