This recipe was featured on TBS Dinner and a Movie. Created by Julia's Kitchen Executive Chef Jeff Mosher.
Serves 4
For the Steaks
4 6 oz cleaned Ribeye steaks
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
salt and black pepper to taste
For the Potato Puree
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (large size)
1/2 pound sweet unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
For the Mushrooms
1 pound king trumpet mushrooms
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
4 sprigs English thyme
4 ea crushed garlic cloves
salt and white pepper to taste
For the Tomato à la Provencale
4 each small heirloom tomatoes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped chives
½ teaspoon chopped chervil
½ teaspoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Béarnaise
4 each egg yolks
½ pound sweet unsalted butter
1 cup champagne vinegar
1 bunch tarragon
1 teaspoon water
salt and white pepper to taste
For the Bordelaise Sauce (optional)
2 Cups red wine
3 each whole shallots, peeled and sliced
2 each bay leaves
4 springs thyme
5 each black peppercorns
5 each coriander seeds
2 quarts veal stock
Potato Puree Method
Peel the potatoes, and cut into two by two inch pieces. Place them into a large pot with enough cold water to cover them and not be crowded. Add salt to the water. It should taste like the sea. Bring the potatoes up to a boil and check. They are done when they are easily pierced with a knife. Drain into a colander. Let the potatoes drain and steam for a few minutes. While they are draining cut the butter into small cubes, and heat the cream on the stove. Pass the potatoes and the butter through a food mill. Add the cream and mix into the potatoes using a spoon or wisk. Taste the puree and adjust the seasoning to your desired taste. Pass the puree through a fine mesh strainer, chinois or tamis is preferable. Refrigerate your puree until you are ready to finish the dish. The puree can be made the day before.
For the Mushrooms
Slice off the bottom ½ inch of the mushrooms and reserve to use in a mushroom stock. Slice the mushrooms lengthwise into pieces that are approximately 2-3 inches long and ½ inch thick. Heat the grapeseed oil in a heavy bottom sauté pan. When the oil begins to smoke add the mushrooms and turn the heat down to medium. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, sauté for 2 minutes and add the garlic and thyme. Sauté another two minutes or until you achieve a nice golden color on the outside of the mushrooms. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and lay flat on a plate or sheet tray and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Preparing Tomatoes à la Provencale
This is a classic French preparation that I like to make in the summer. It goes great with beef, lamb, and pork.
Pick ripe but firm small tomatoes, about 3” diameter is good. Wash them and cut the top ½ inch off. Gently squeeze the tomatoes so that the seeds and liquid come out. This will create some small cavities in the tomato that we are going to fill with the breadcrumb stuffing. To make the filling first mince the shallots and garlic, and then chop the herbs. Then mix with the bread crumbs and ½ the extra virgin olive oil. Season the tomatoes with a nice flakey sea salt, or you can use kosher salt, and the rest of the olive oil. Then spoon your filling onto the tomatoes, pressing some it into the small cavities that you created. Be sure to leave a nice layer on top to brown in the oven. Place the tomatoes in a 350 degree oven and cook them for approximately 12 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your tomatoes. They are done when they are soft and the breadcrumbs on top have browned nicely.
Making the Bordelaise Sauce (Optional)
Peel and slice shallots. Heat medium sized saucepot and sweat shallots in 1 T grapeseed oil. When translucent add the herbs, spices, and red wine. When wine has reduced to a thin layer on the bottom of the pot add the stock and simmer. The sauce is ready when it can coat a spoon, should be about 2 Cups.
For the Béarnaise
Heat a pot of water, at least 4 quarts in capacity. Fill it ¾ of the way full and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Pick the tarragon leaves and add the tarragon stems and the vinegar to a pot. Bring the vinegar to a boil and reduce on low heat to 1/8 Cup. Strain out the tarragon stems and place the vinegar in the refrigerator. Chop the butter and melt on the stove, once the butter is melted transfer to another container and place in the refrigerator. While the butter is cooling you can begin to wisk your eggs. Add the vinegar reduction to the egg yolks in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Place the bowl on the pot with the simmering water. Wisk the yolks until they grow in volume and you begin to see ribbons in the mix while you wisk. It should gain in volume and thickness. Turn off your heat, but keep your bowl on the pot of water. At this point grab your butter and slowly begin to drizzle it into the egg mixture. If it appears to be getting too thick add the 1 teaspoon of water. When adding the butter stop before you get to the very end. The milk solids will have settled to the bottom and you do not need to add them to the sauce. They will thin out your sauce. Chop the tarragon and add it to the bowl. Transfer the sauce to a porcelain dish that will help the sauce retain its heat. Set somewhere near the stove to keep it warm, but do not keep it on it. It will break on you.
Finishing the Dish
Heat a heavy bottom sauté pan, and add the grapeseed oil to it. Season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper. When the oil begins to smoke add the steaks and sear on all sides. When you get to the searing the last side place the pan in a 400-degree oven and cook to your desired temperature. Usually only 3—4 minutes for medium rare, but it depends on the thickness of your steaks. When done remove from the oven and place on a rack to rest.
Heat the potato puree in a small pot. Thin out the puree with a little cream if it is too thick. Bring it up to temp on low heat so you don’t burn the bottom of the puree. Sauté the mushrooms in a little bit of whole butter to get them hot.
If you cooked the tomatoes a little ahead check them and see if they need to be reheated.
At the restaurant we plate this dish on a large square plate. We do a thick line of the potato puree across the bottom of the plate, drawing a spoon through it to create a space in the middle. Add the mushrooms to this space. Slice the steak and lay it like shingles across the mushrooms. Make a small pool of the béarnaise sauce in a circle on the top half of the plate. Place the tomato à la provencale on top of the béarnaise. If using the bordelaise, spoon the sauce around the steak. Sprinkle the steak with a little sea salt if desired and serve immediately.
Bon appetite!