YUM!

I made this last night and I think it's the best meal I've made so far. FILET MIGNON with CARMEL-BRANDY MUSHROOM SAUCE and POTATO GRATIN! I went to the farmers market and got the grass fed beef, along with the mushrooms and the potatoes... It really feels good to cook a whole meal from the farmers market... and it tasted really good! This is my husbands favorite meal steak and potatoes! So I'd like to share the recipe and I hope you enjoy it too. 

The recipe serves 4 but I cut it in half. 

4 Filet Mignons

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons coarsely cracked pepper

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups of sliced shiitake mushrooms (I used a variety)

1 head of roasted garlic (I used fresh 1 head of fresh)

7 Tablespoons of Brandy

6 Tablespoons of light brown sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons of fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season beef with salt on all sides. Place coarse pepper in a shallow dish and dip the cut sides of the filets into the pepper, pressing lightly to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks andsear on both sides until well browned, 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the steaks to an oven-proofbaking dish and place in the oven. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare.

While the steaks are cooking in the oven, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the same saute pan used for the steaks. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and reserve.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the garlic cloves and 6 tablespoons of the brandy to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any browned particles from the bottom of the pan. Return the skillet to the heat, being careful that the brandy does not flame up. Cook until reduced by half; this will happen very quickly. Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter and the brown sugar, stirring to combine. When the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbly, whisk in the cream, reduce the heat to medium-high andsimmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until mixture is sauce consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Add the reserved mushrooms to the pan and season with the salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat and whiskin the remaining tablespoon of butter and the remaining tablespoon of brandy. Serve immediately over warm steaks. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Potato Gratin

serves 2

1 large russet potato (about 12 oz) peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1 small shallot 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried

1/4 teaspoon pepper

pinch of ground nutmeg

pinch of cayenne

2 teaspoons unbleached all-purposed flour

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Adjust an oven rack to the upper- middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat an 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inch baking dish with veggie oil spray. Place the potatoes in a medium bowl and set aside

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and salt and cook until softened, about 2 mins. Stir in garlic, thyme, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec. Stir in flour and cook until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Whisk in the cream, bring to a simmer, and cook until beginning to thicken, about 30 seconds.

Pour the sauce over the potatoes and toss to coat thouroughly. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish and gently pack the potatoes into an even layer, removing any air pocket. Cover the dish with the foil and bake until the potatoes are almost tender 35-40 minutes.

Remove the foil and sprinkle with the cheese. Continue to bake, uncovered, iuntil the cheese is lightly browned and the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes longer. Let the gratin sot for 10 minutes before serving

Thanks to Emeril Lagasse and America's Test Kitchen

Hope you enjoy!