This dish is inspired by traditional continental French restaurants in California, like La Bourgogone, Fleur de Lys and Ernie’s. They would serve tableside filet with cognac sauce, roasted pommes Anna, roasted tomatoes and artichokes.
| Level: | Advanced |
| Total: | 2 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 whole filet mignon, not trimmed
- Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 8 to 10 bay leaves
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 4 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced like a deck of cards (1/8-to-1/4-inch thick)
- Sea salt flakes
- 2 cups washed, trimmed and diced Jerusalem artichokes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper
- 2 pints tiny cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt flakes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 cup dark chicken stock
- 1/4 cup cognac
- Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat one oven to 400 degrees F and a second oven to 450 degrees F.
- For the steak: Trim out four nice 6-ounce steaks, leave some of the fat and sinew on the steaks. Reserve any trimmings for the sauce, ideally at least 6 ounces of trimmings. Sprinkle the steaks with sea salt and heavy cracked black pepper and place into a shallow dish. Pour the olive oil and red wine over the steaks and top with the bay leaves. Set aside to marinate while you start the pommes Anna, Jerusalem artichokes, tomatoes and sauce.
- For the pommes Anna: Rub 2 tablespoons of the butter into a 10-inch cast-iron pan. Place the potatoes in the pan resembling an overlapping deck of cards. Season with sea salt and dab with the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Bake in the 400-degree oven until cooked through and golden, about 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for the Jerusalem artichokes: Cook the Jerusalem artichokes in salted simmering water until very tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Drain off all but 1/2 cup cooking liquid and add the cream and butter. Use an immersion blender to puree the Jerusalem artichokes. Season with sea salt and pepper. Keep warm.
- For the tomatoes: Sprinkle the tomatoes with the olive oil and some sea salt and pour onto a baking sheet. Roast in the 450-degree oven until just cooked, 20 to 25 minutes.
- For the sauce: Add the olive oil and butter to a medium cast-iron skillet and heat until almost smoking. Add the trimmed filet pieces and sear well on all sides. Once the trimmings are seared, add the red wine, stock and cognac and reduce for about 12 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Strain the sauce and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
- Put the marinated filets on the grill and grill on both sides until desired temperature, 130 degrees F for medium-rare. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing each steak into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
- Line the middle of a large platter with the Jerusalem artichoke puree, top with the filet slices and finish with the reduced sauce. Arrange the tomatoes along the edges. Serve with the pommes Anna on the side.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 1319 |
| Total Fat | 93 g |
| Saturated Fat | 43 g |
| Carbohydrates | 72 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 16 g |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Cholesterol | 195 mg |
| Sodium | 2035 mg |