Dinner Series - French Dinner - Entrees

Steak au Poivre

Ingredients

4 tenderloin steaks 6 to 8 ounces

Kosher Salt

2 TBS Peppercorns

1 TBS unsalted butter

1 TBS canola or grapeseed oil

1/3 cup Cognac

1 cup Heavy Cream

Recipe:

Remove steaks from refrigeration 30 minutes in advance and give a medium coat of Kosher Salt.

Crack peppercorns coarsely or use a coarse setting on your pepper mill. Coat steaks with pepper and press the pepper into the meat, this will help it stick.

Place the butter and oil into a large skillet (I use cast iron) and bring to medium heat. When the butter turns golden and before it browns add the steaks. Cook aprox 4 minutes each side for Medium Rare.

Remove from the pan and cover with foil.

Drain any excess fat, do not wipe out the pan. Off the flame add the cognac, you can either boil off the alcohol or carefully ignite (do not burn the house down). Once the alcohol has burned off add the cream and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens. You will want to stir the sauce as it cooks to pick up the bits of steak and pepper flavor in the pan.

Plate steaks, add sauce and serve.

Salmon Lare au Raifort

Ingredients

Lentils 225 Grams

1 Onion

1 Garlic Clove

1 Bouquet Garni

Salt and Pepper

2 cups of water or Chicken Stock

Salmon 1 filet of 2 lbs with the skin off, this recipe is for six, I will do half a recipe for class

4 oz  lean bacon cut into lardons

1 cup Heavy Cream

2  TBS hrated fresh Horseradish or 3 to 4 TBS bottled Horseradish

2 Shallots finely chopped

Equipment

8 x 11 inch roasting pan or baking dish

Recipe

Clean lentils , put them in a sauce pan with the onion , garlic, bouquet garni and water to cover, bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes add salt to taset half way through. Test for doneness. Discard the garlic, onion and bouquet garni.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter your dish or pan. 

Cut the filet of salmon in half and pat dry. poke holes in the flesh side with a knife and insert the lardons into the cuts. Continue with the second piece if doing the full recipe. Place the first piece of salmon in the dish or pan with the bacon side down, lay the second piece on top with the skin side down, poke holes and place the lardons into the cuts. Spread the butter over the salmon and give a light sprinkle of pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, test by inserting a skewer for 30 seconds into the thickest part of the salmon, if the skewer comes out hot it's done.

Transfer the salmon to a platter, skim off the fat and add the heavy cream and bring to a boil stirring to incorporate the pan juices. Strain the mixture  add the horseradish shallots, salt and pepper and bring back to a boil. Pour sauce into a gravy boat and serve with the salmon.