Tournedos Rossini

I critiziced earlier the price range of Restaurant Sunn, and claimed to be able to make the food better myself. Well, time for proof. I decided to try making Tournedos Rossini, this is once again a version with a twist. The original dish has fois gras (duck/goose liver), however my mother oppose eating that for ethical reasons, so I had to skip it. Instead I use bacon as a fat component. Also, I was all out of Madeira wine so the sauce is red wine with a vanilla twist. Finally since black truffels are hard to find, I did my usual trick; using regular mushrooms flavored with truffel oil..

Also I used spelt bread (if you're gluten free this is a no go, IBS friendly though for some) I recommend anyone to use spelt instead of wheat, the bread is more crispy in texture..

Tournedos Rossini is made with Filet Mignon, and the one thing you can absolutetly not change is that: The meat, the heart of the dish!

Recipe (2people)

400 grams Filet Mignon (two filets of 200grams each)

1 pack bacon (150grams)

1 pack mushrooms (200grams)

Truffle oil

2 pieces of bread (Spelt, wheat or gluten free)

Start by wrapping one or two slices of bacon around each filet. Set aside and let the meat become room temperature. The bacon will protect the meat and att natural fat when searing. Cut the mushrooms in slices (leave 4-5 for the salad), sautée mushrooms, once brown take off the stove and flavor with about 1-2 tsp of truffel oil. Cut the two slices of bread, cut the crust away and set aside.

Sage potatoes

8-10 potatoes

Olive oil

dried sage

salt

Turn the oven to 220C. Cut potatoes in half along the long edge, and then in half again so you get cloves. Drizzle olive oil, dry sage and salt over the potatoes. Put on a tin and place in the oven. The potatoes will take around 40min to cook.

Sauce

2dl Red wine

1/2 tsp stock powder (meat)

1/2 carrot

1 piece green celery

1 Vanilla pod (vaniljatanko)

50 grams of butter

1tbs tomato purée

1/2 tbs Maizena sauce thickener (suuruste)

Start making the sauce by pouring 2dl red wine in a pot and heating it up, add the stock powder. Peel and cut half a carrot in pieces, wash and cut the celery. (piece size won't matter, feel free to make them look as ugly as you like!) Add them to the wine, let boil for about 15-20min. This will make the alcohol evaporate and make the sauce friendly for kids too.. When about 20mins has passed, pour the wine with the carrots and celery through a strainer in a new pot. This way the carrot and celery has given flavor to the wine. Put the pot with the strained wine back on the stove. Take the vanilla pod, cut it open and scrape out the vanilla seeds. Add them to the wine. Add 1 tbs of tomato purée, stir and let the sauce simmer. Add the sauce thickener carefully while stiring. The Maizena one I use, you don't have to mix with water. However check, if you use potatoflour for example you absolutetly must mix it with cold water first. Let the sauce simmer and thicken, if you want to make it thicker add some thickener. Finally add the butter. Butter will make the sauce shine (I'm not kidding) and improve the taste.

Salad

Rest of the bacon

4-5 mushrooms

1/2 cucumber

lettuce

Chop the bacon, and fry it crispy. Slice mushrooms, cut the cucumber in slices or squares, and mix the lettuce, mushrooms and crispy bacon in to a salad.

Preparing  & serving the meat

Now that everything else is done, heat up a pan and put some butter in it. Place the meat in the pan, fry it on each side for about 4min to make it perfect. This will make the meat medium rare, and this is how Tournedos Rossini should be served. If you don't like medium to medium rare meat, don't make the dish. I'm actually not kidding, Filet mignon is expensive meat and cooking it well done is a complete waste of your money. If you regardless feel like doing this, after 4-5min/side put the meat in the oven to cook through ( You're breaking my heart if you do it. Seriously!) Take my word for it, if there ever is a time to try medium to medium rare meat, this is it! Just do it!

Take the filets of the pan, and let the meat rest for a while (5min) this way the juices won't escape when you cut it. During this resting period you can throw the slices of bread to the pan with a little butter and fry them quickly (30sek/side).

Constructing the dish

 This dish is always served on a plate, so it's all about constructing next.


Start by placing the fried/roasted piece of bread one on each plate. On top place the meat, and on top of the meat the seared truffle flavored mushrooms. Finally pour the lovely red wine sauce on top. As a side serve the potatoes and the salad. Perfection!