TOURNEDOS WITH MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE

Tournedos: a small fillet of beef usually cut from the tip of the tenderloin. There are many recipes, but the most famous one is Tournedos Rossini named after an Italian composer and paired with a bit of toasted / fried bread with a slice of foie gras and topped with black truffle and demi-glace Madeira sauce. They were very popular in the 80s and served in many good European restaurants. This recipe is my adaptation of the traditional recipe. It was extremely delicious and the meat melted in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS:

4 eye fillet steaks steaks - 4-5 cm thick

4 thin bacon or pancetta slices 

4 sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary

2 crusty bread rolls, cut in half and top removed

100g good quality paté (I used chicken with brandy)

300g button mushrooms, thinly sliced

300ml light thickened cream

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp brandy

Salt and pepper to season

olive oil to cook

METHOD:

Cut the fillet into 5cm pieces.

Wrap a slice of pancetta or bacon around every steak.

Wrap with the thyme or rosemary and secure with kitchen string tied around it. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the bread and toast. (You can also fried it with butter, but I find it a bit too fatty.)

Preheat oven to 150°C.
Put a frypan with a bit of olive oil over high heat. Add the steaks and fry for about 5 minutes on each side. Seal the pancetta until crispy (put steak on the side).

Transfer the steak to an ovenproof dish and keep warm in the oven.
Add a bit more oil to the same frypan you cooked the steaks, add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until all liquid has been absorbed.

Add the brandy and cook until they are golden brown.

Add the cream and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the cream starts to thicken.

Spread some paté on top of the toasted bread rolls.

Put a tournedo (without the string) on top of the bread and serve with some of the mushroom sauce.

They can be served with mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin or any other baked vegetable you fancy. This is comfort food at its best!!

SERVES 4

This time I used potato wedges cooked in the oven. They are also nice to cook them on the air-fryer.