A New Year's Eve Menu
Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Sauce Bordelaise Salad Greens with Pickled Beets, Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Sherry Vinaigrette Potato Pancakes with Apple and Leek Green Beans with Sweet Red Pepper and Garlic Crepes Suzett
Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Sauce Bordelaise
Ingredients
- 1 whole beef tenderloin (5 to 6 pounds)
- olive oil
- sea salt
- black pepper, coarsely ground
Ingredients: Bordelaise Sauce
- 1 cup dry red wine (preferably Bordeaux)
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram leaves, or 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1tablespoon cold butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Rub the tenderloin with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Transfer the tenderloin to a rack placed in a large shallow roasting pan. Roast the tenderloin for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat reaches 125 to 130 degrees for rare to medium rare, or 135 to 140 degrees for medium. Tent the tenderloin with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
Bordelaise Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the red wine, shallots, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer the mixture over medium heat until it is reduce by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef broth and again reduce the mixture by half. When the sauce is nearly reduced, mash the butter with a folk and incorporate the flour; then form the mixture into a ball. Pinch off small pieces of the ball and whisk into the simmering sauce, adding as much as needed to thicken the sauce slightly. Stir in the lemon juice. Remove the pan from the heat and strain to remove the shallots and herbs.
To serve, carve the tenderloin into 1/2-inch thick slices and top with the Bordelaise sauce. Serve 8.
Potato Pancakes with Apple and Leek
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped leek*
- 1 small red apple, cored and shredded
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or light olive oil
Method
In a large bowl, beat the eggs slightly with a wire whisk. Gradually add the flour, salt and white pepper and beat until smooth. Stir in the chopped leek and shredded apple.
Peel and rinse the potatoes in cold water and pat dry. Using a hand shredder or food processor with shredding blade, shred the potatoes. Place the potatoes on a clean tea towel, or on two layers of heavy-duty paper towels. Roll up and press to extract as much moisture as possible. Stir the potatoes into the egg batter. In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat.
When very hot, spoon about 1/3 cup of the potato mixture into the skillet; then flatten and shape into a pancake about 4 inches in diameter. Repeat the process but do not crowd the pancakes in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and fry for 4 to 5 minutes each side, until golden brown. Transfer potato pancakes to a platter in a warm oven while frying the remaining pancakes. Add more butter and oil to the pan if needed. Makes 8.
* To clean the leek: Peel off the dry outer leaves. Remove the roots and cut off and discard the green tops about 1 inch above the white section. Slice the leek in half, lengthwise. Rinse under cold running water to remove sand and dirt. Drain well.
Green Beans and Sweet Red Pepper and Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 pound green bean, trimmed
- 1/2 of a large sweet red pepper, seeds and pith removed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- salt & black pepper
Method
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and boil just until tender-crisp. Drain the beans and immediately plunge them into a pan of ice water. Cool completely and drain well. If using immediately, pat dry with paper towels. If prepared ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Cut the red pepper into thin matchsticks. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper and garlic stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until the pepper is tender-crisp. Add the green beans and stir-fry for about 2 minutes more, until heated throughout. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serves 8.
Salad Greens with Pickled Beets, Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Sherry Vinaigrette
Ingredients: Sherry Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup walnut oil
Ingredients
- salad greens, rinsed and drained
- 2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 cup chopped pickled beets
- 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Method
Sherry Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the sherry wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and mustard. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Taste, and add more walnut oil, if desired.
Place the salad greens in a large salad bowl. Add the vinaigrette to taste, tossing the greens to coat. Arrange the greens on salad plates. Top each with crumbled blue cheese, beets and walnuts. Serves 8.
Crepes Suzette
Ingredients: Crepes
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- melted butter
Ingredients: Tangerine Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2/3 cup tangerine juice
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Grand Marnier
Method
Crepes: Blend the eggs and flour together in a food processor or blender. While the machine is running, slowly add the milk, blending until smooth. Heat an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. When hot, brush the skillet with a small amount of melted butter. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the crepe batter into the skillet, tilting it so the batter flows quickly and evenly over its entire surface. Cook just until the edges are lightly browned and the surface looks dry. Using a spatula, carefully turn the crepe over and brown lightly on the other side. Turn the cooked crepes onto a flat surface to cool. Makes 18 to 20 crepes.
Tangerine Sauce: Fold the crepes in half. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar and stir until it begins to boil briskly, but do not allow the mixture to brown. Stir in the orange and lemon zest, tangerine juice and lemon juice. Bring the sauce to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the crepes to the skillet, one at a time. Using tongs, turn each crepe to moisten with the sauce, and fold into a triangle. Push the crepe to the side of the pan and continue the process with the remaining crepes, stacking them around the edges of the skillet. When the crepes are heated throughout, warm the Grand Marnier in a small pan over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and ignite the liqueur using a long match. Pour the flaming liqueur over the crepes. Shake the pan until the flame dies. Place two or three crepes on each dessert plate and top each with some of the sauce. Garnish with tangerine slices. Serves 6 to 8.
Option: If you do not wish to flame the liqueur, pour the liqueur over the crepes and simmer for a few minutes to cook the alcohol.
Caution: When igniting the liqueur, keep away from flammable items and do not turn on the exhaust fan. Do not pour extra liqueur from the bottle into a pan of flaming liqueur.
Recipes by Jayni Carey © 2001.
