The test kitchen is a remarkable place. For many reasons. One, of course, is getting to bring home "ingredients," both raw and already prepared, waiting to be "re-purposed."
Yesterday was one of those bonanza days. We had potatoes and summer squash... raw, but sliced, oiled, salted and peppered. So these were the sides. I flashed the squash over very high heat to sear them without allowing them to turn to mush, as squash and zucchini are wont to do.
I cubed the potatoes and sautéed them until golden and tossed them with some truffle oil. Yes, truffle oil.
I began to build a sauce: minced and sautéed 2 shallots, added A LOT of very coarsely cracked pepper... tossed in a good shot of brandy... let it reduce... added heavy cream... lowered the heat, and simmered.
And now, Dear Reader, we come to the reason for all of this prep... on a Thursday.
We needed filet. Four (4!) picture-perfect pieces of Beef Perfection. Unwrapping them, we discovered that our local, very famous emporium of high-priced healthy comestibles had given us four misshapen, badly butchered pieces instead.
So I ran out to buy four more. These were indeed perfect... beautiful, equal weight and size, pretty as a picture. I got to take two of the "ugly" ones home. Ugly? Yes. But still...
I salted, heavily peppered, and EVOO'd them. In a frighteningly hot cast iron pan, I seared them for about 3 minutes per side. Sauced them. Added the sides. Sprinkled them with parsley.
This was old school, after all. Opened up a delicious Zin, also from the magazine...
And we pretended this random Thursday was February 14 and December 25 rolled into one.
Oh Joy, O Bliss... And I'm not even that much of a meat eater!!! Except today...
