Espagnole

ELEGANT BEEF WELLINGTON

1 (6 lb.) whole beef tenderloin roast Butter 1 (17 1/4 oz.) pkg. frozen puff pastry 1 med. sized onion, minced 1 (8 oz.) pkg. mushrooms, finely chopped 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 2 tbsp. red wine 1/2 lb. goose or duck liver pate OR 17 oz. can liver pate 1 egg, separated 2 tsp. milk Bordelaise sauce Parsley for garnish (Ask your butcher to trim tenderloin of fat).(Available at specialty stores). About 2 hours before serving: 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In large oven roasting pan on rack, form tenderloin into ring so that thick end rests on thin end to hold securely. Brush beef with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Insert meat thermometer into center of tenderloin. Roast tenderloin 40 minutes or until thermometer reaches 120 degrees F (very rare). Remove tenderloin from oven and let stand 30 minutes. Do not turn oven off. 2. Thaw pastry as label directs. 3. Meanwhile, in 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat, in 3 tablespoons hot butter, cook onion until tender. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all liquid evaporates. Stir in red wine and cook over medium heat until mixture is dry. Remove skillet from heat; cool slightly. 4. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 sheet puff pastry into 14 x 12 inch rectangle. Place puff pastry sheet on ungreased large cookie sheet. Center partially roasted tenderloin ring on dough. With knife, cut pastry with 1 inch border all around tenderloin. 5. Spread pate evenly over tenderloin; top with mushroom mixture. With pastry brush, brush some egg white on pastry around tenderloin. On lightly floured surface, roll second sheet puff pastry as above; place loosely over tenderloin ring, pressing pastry around base of tenderloin to seal; crimp pastry border to make a pretty edge. 6. In cup, with fork, beat egg yolk with milk; brush top and sides of pastry with egg mixture. Bake Beef Wellington 10 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees F; bake 20 minutes longer or until crust is golden. With 2 pancake turners, transfer roast to warm platter. Let stand 15 minutes for easier slicing. 7. Prepare Bordelaise Sauce. 8. To serve, garnish with parsley, cut Beef Wellington into wedges. Serve with Bordelaise Sauce. Makes 10 servings. BORDELAISE SAUCE: In heavy 1 quart saucepan over low heat, in 3 tablespoons hot butter, cook 1 tablespoon minced onion until tender. Stir in 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; cook until lightly browned; add 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper.Slowly stir in one 10 1/2 ounce can condensed beef broth (bouillon), 1/2 cup red wine, and 1/4 cup water. Increase heat to medium-high; cook mixture, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens. Seared Duck Breast with Figged Port Demi-Glace This dish is deceptively simple, and is a great technique for preparing duck breast with any kind of sauce. We think the port pairs so well with the richness of the duck, and who can resist a dish with figs? Serve over a disc of polenta pan-fried in a little hazelnut oil and a simple salad of mixed greens for an exquisite meal. 4 servings Ingredients 4 6-8 ounce boneless duck breasts, skin intact (or 2 larger duck breasts, 8 ounces per person) Sea salt and freshly ground white peppercorn, to taste For the port demi-glace: 6 fresh figs, halved (or dried if out of season) 1 teaspoon of whole white peppercorns ½ teaspoon finely minced chervil (or parsley) 1 cup ruby port Equipment Stainless steel sauté pan Preparation Sear the duck breasts: Score the skin of the duck breasts lightly in a diamond pattern, being careful not to cut all the way through to the flesh. Sprinkle generously with flakes of sea salt and a few grinds of white peppercorn on the skin side. Heat a large stainless steel sauté pan over medium-high heat until it’s very hot. Lay the duck breasts in the dry pan skin side down, searing until the skin is brown and crispy. When ready, the fat will begin to render from the duck and it will release itself from the pan. Turn the breasts over and sear on the other side until the breasts are cooked to your taste. For medium-rare, leave on the second side for 5-7 minutes. Remove them from the pan and set aside covered with tinfoil while preparing the sauce. [Chef’s Note: Scoring the duck breasts allows the fat to render out and develop a crispy, caramelized skin. If the sauté pan is not large enough to comfortably fit all the duck breasts at once, use two sauté pans. The duck breasts should register 155-160° F on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat. Be sure to insert the thermometer between the skin and flesh so as not to pierce the skin. The duck will continue to cook while resting, so be careful not to overcook.] Prepare the port demi-glace: While the sauté pan is still hot, add the port, whole white peppercorns, and chervil or parsley to the rendered duck fat and deglaze the pan. Using a whisk, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, and continue to whisk until the mixture is reduced and emulsified. The sauce is ready when reduced to a glaze. Add the halved fresh figs and gently stir until heated through. [Chef’s Note: if you are using dried figs, reconstitute them by adding them to the port before it begins to reduce.] Service Serve with a green salad and polenta fried in hazelnut oil. Place the polenta on the plate, and lay one duck breast over it, then sauce with the port glaze, adding one or two fig halves to each serving. Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts with a Chasseur Sauce Ingredients For the Chicken and Sauce: 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boned chicken breasts, wings attached, skin on, first and second wing joints removed 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced thin 1 tablespoon minced shallot 1/3 cup dry white wine Directions 2 cups dark chicken stock, recipe follows 1 cup diced tomatoes 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves Salt and pepper Glazed Carrots, recipe follows Pommes Anna, recipe fellows Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Season the chicken breast with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the fresh ground white pepper. Place the chicken skin side down in the pan and sear until the skin begins to caramelize, about 3 to 4 minutes, then place the pan in the oven. Roast the chicken until well caramelized and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly. While the chicken is roasting, set a 10-inch saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. As the butter melts, add the mushrooms and saute until lightly caramelized, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots to the pan and saute for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the white wine; once the wine is nearly evaporated, about 1 minute, add the chicken stock and tomatoes to the pan and cook until the stock is reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and flour to form a paste. Add to pan and simmer 2 minutes to thicken. Season the sauce with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper and garnish with the parsley. Once the chicken is cooled, about 3 to 5 minutes, make 3 cuts on the bias through the breast. To serve, drizzle sauce onto a plate; fan the chicken out on top of that, and serve with Pommes Anna and Glazed Carrots alongside. For the Brown Chicken Stock: 4 pounds chicken parts, such as wings, backs, carcasses and necks, rinsed in cool water 1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onions 1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrots 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery 3 cloves garlic, smashed 1 cup dry white wine 4 tablespoons tomato paste 5 sprigs fresh parsley 5 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chicken pieces in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Roast until well-browned, turning halfway through roasting, about 2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and stir to mix well. Return to the oven and continue roasting until the vegetables soften, about 45 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pan to a large heavy stockpot. Place the roasting pan on 2 burners on the stove over medium-high heat. Pour the wine into the roasting pan and stir with a wooden spoon to deglaze and dislodge any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the hot wine mixture into the stock pot. Add the tomato paste, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours, skimming from time to time to remove any scum from the surface of the stock. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate. (The stock can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.) Yield: about 1 1/2 quarts Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 6 hrs 45 minutes Inactive prep: 4 hours (cooling) Glazed Carrots: 3 cups chopped carrots (about 1-inch pieces) 4 to 5 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups water Place all of the ingredients in a 10-inch saute pan and place over high heat. Bring the pan to a boil, and continue to cook the carrots until crisp-tender and the liquid has reduced, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to serve. Pommes Anna: 2 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes 1/4 cup clarified butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel and trim the potatoes into a uniform cylindrical shape. Cut the cylinders into thin, 1/16-inch slices, preferably with a mandoline so that the slices are of uniform thickness. Liberally brush an 8-inch saute pan with clarified butter and arrange the potato slices in concentric rings emanating from the center of the pan. Lightly brush each layer with clarified butter and season each layer lightly with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on the stovetop and cook undisturbed over medium heat until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the oven and cook until caramelized and cooked through, about 30 minutes, pressing the potatoes occasionally to compress and shaking the pan to keep the potatoes from sticking to the bottom. Drain the excess butter from the pan and turn the potato cake out onto a cutting board. Slice into quarters and serve with the Pan-Roasted Chicken with a Chasseur Sauce and the Glazed Carrots. **************************************************************************** Veal Kidney in Madera Sauce Description Veal Kidneys in Madeira Sauce is considered a real delicacy. It is not easy to make this dish in a correct way, as kidneys demand much care and attention while cooking. But if you succeed, you’ll never regret it. Ingredients 2 1/2 pounds veal kidneys. 1 pound mushrooms. 1 teaspoon salt. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. 5 tablespoons unsalted butter. 1 medium onion, finely chopped. 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. 2 cups Chicken Consomme. 1/2 cup Madera wine. 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley. Method ***************************************** Bow-Tie Pasta With Red Pepper Sauce INGREDIENTS (Nutrition) 2 cups red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon honey 2 cups bow tie pasta 1 cup blanched green peas 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley DIRECTIONS Combine bell pepper, broth, oregano, salt, and pepper in 2 quart saucepan. Cover. Cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper is tender. Stir in tomato paste, vinegar, and honey; remove from heat. Puree mixture in a blender or food processor. Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain. Mix together pasta, red pepper sauce, peas, and parsley.