The most prized cut of beef for many is none other than fillet. In addition to being extremely tender, what makes beef fillets a hot favorite for even the most discerning epicureans is that they have almost no fat. While this means that it is not to be as flavorful as other cuts, it is the tender texture of the meat that gives it an edge over others. Since it is one of the most expensive pieces of meat, special care is needed when cooking it so that its virtues are not devastated. Weight of a whole fillet is about 24 to 25 pounds and is sufficient to feed 8 to 10 individuals.
Recipe
This recipe serves 4. The cooking time is 1 hour and preparation time is 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Ingredients Quantity
Clarified butter 3 tablespoons
Baguette (cut in thick slices) 1 cut in 4 ½ inch pieces
Foie gras (fresh) 4 pounds
Salt To taste
Pepper (freshly ground) To taste
Beef filler 4-6 pounds
Madeira ½ cup
Beef stock/ veal stock 2 cups
Demi glace 6 pounds
Butter 8 tablespoons
Black truffle (sliced) 1
Instructions
Heat the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a large non-stick skillet and put it over medium flame. Add the clarified butter and add slices of bread. Fry them till they are golden brown. It is recommended that you fry each side for around 30 seconds. The croutons are then transferred to a plate and kept in an oven so as to keep them warm.
Use paper towels to wipe the skillet and put it over high heat. Use pepper and salt for seasoning foie gras and sear it until it has a brown tinge to it. Give 30 seconds to each side. Keep foie gras along with the croutons in oven.
Reduce the heat to medium. Use pepper and salt to season the fillet. Add fillets to the skillet and cook until they are thoroughly fried. Frying each side for 5 minutes is recommended. Transfer the beef fillets to the plate with foie gras and croutons in the oven.
Keep the heat to medium and add Madeira to the skillet. Cook until all the alcohol has evaporated and you are left with a condensed amount. This will take around 2 minutes. Add Demi glace and stock to it. Increase the heat to high and keep cooking until the liquid is condensed to three quarters of a cup and has a syrupy texture to it. This will take a maximum of 15 minutes. Add butter to this mixture while stirring continuously so that the butter melts and the sauce has a velvety feel to it. This will take only 2 more minutes.
For serving, take warmed platter and place a crouton on each. Beef fillets go on top. There should be a piece of foie gras in the center of crouton and fillet. Take truffle slices and carefully arrange them on top of the foie gras. Spoon the sauce on top. Each beef fillet is garnished using sprig of parsley. Serve.