There are moments in your cooking history that define what type of cook you are. This was one of those moments for Will. This dinner defined that if we never went out to eat again, it would be okay because Will is a top-notch chef. This was our Valentine's dinner this year, pulled together after an early morning snorkeling with manatees! We had been given an EarthFare gift card from one of my piano students, so between that and some coupons, we decided to treat ourselves to a filet mignon. Now as you would imagine, this was not something we had purchased to make at home before, so this whole experience was going to be on giant experiment.We actually don't even cook beef that often, so we were a little concerned that we would ruin it. However, we picked a simple enough recipe and some tasty sides, promising ourselves it would be a success. This was also our first time cooking broccolini and it is a recipe that I would definitely make again! Needless to say, our meal turned out to be restaurant quality, if not better (and the price was certainly better since we did the labor!). The meat was a perfect medium cook that just melted in your mouth. The potatoes sopped up all of the sauce perfectly, and the broccolini added the perfect garlicky crunch to any bite. Overall, a stunning success!
Cooking Notes for Filet: We pretty much followed this recipe to a "t" because sometimes it's best to just keep things simple :)
Filet Mignon with Wine Sauce (adapted from Buzzfeed; serves 2)
2 filet mignon
Salt and pepper, to taste1 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock
Filets: Dry the filets with a paper towel. Generously season with S&P all over. Heat 1 tbsp of sunflower oil in a saute pan (sunflower oil won't smoke like olive oil). Once the pan is hot enough that it's almost smoking, add the filet mignons. Allow them to brown on each side, so make sure you rotate them. Make sure you flip them and roll them to get all sides! Then, place the saute pan with the filets in the 400 degree oven until the meat thermometer registers 135 degrees F.
Wine Sauce: Combine 1/2 cup red wine and 1/2 cup beef stock in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and let it reduce by half. You can check the amount of liquid in the pan by tipping it to the side.
Recipe: Buzzfeed: How to Cook a Delicious Filet Mignon for Two
Cooking Notes for Broccolini: I can't find the original recipe anymore, but this is basically what we did.
Broccolini (serves 2)1 bunch broccolini
3 cloves garlic
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and chop broccolini into individual stem pieces. Place in a pan and drizzle olive oil over top, to your liking. Take 3 cloves of garlic and slice them into thin pieces. Toss them in the pan with the broccolini, making sure olive oil spreads to all ingredients. Season with S&P. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes, making sure to broil for a couple minutes at the end to crisp them a little bit!
Cheese Mashed Potatoes (adapted from Buzzfeed; serves 2)
3-4 medium-sized Yukon on Russet potatoes
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup milk
2 oz. goat cheese
Peel the potatoes and slice them into quarters. Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with about 1-inch cold water. Bring the water to a boil and let them cook until just tender, about 5-10 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling, take 1/2 stick butter and 1/3 cup milk on low heat, keeping an eye on the mixture as the butter melts-make sure it doesn't burn! Once potatoes are tender, drain them, then return them to the pot and mash them with a potato masher. Add the milk and butter and continue mashing. Leave on low heat to allow to thicken. In the last few minutes, add the goat cheese and mix in to melt slightly. Serve when everything else is ready!
Recipe: Buzzfeed: Valentine's Potatoes
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