So, last night I was craving steak. I wanted to do something different, so I went to Epicurious to see what delicious concoctions they might suggest for Filet Mignon and I came across this one. Filet Mignon with Mushrooms and Madeira. Wow, that sounded fantastic. If you’ve never cooked with Madeira, I urge you to try. Get the best one they have at the store. It has a slight sweetness similar to sherry but it’s more complex. It works really well with mushrooms.
I made a couple of tweaks. First, I swapped out the button mushrooms for shitakes, as I just like them better. Then, it called for 3 Tbsp of butter, which I reduced to 2 Tbsp (not too bad for 4 people). Lastly, it called for 1/2 cup heavy cream, I changed that to 1/4 cup half and half. The sauce was complex and a little rich, perfect for the filet.
I served this with Pommes Anna and a salad. So, so, so good!
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced (I like shitake but whatever you like)
- ½ cup minced shallots (about 3)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 4 5-ounce filet mignon steaks (each about ¾ inch thick) Season with Salt and pepper and bring to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking
- ½ cup Madeira
- 1½ cups canned beef broth
- ¼ cup half and half
- Heat oven to 375
- In a non stick sauce pan, melt 1 Tbsp of the butter. Add 1 Tbsp of the shallots and 1 Tbsp of the garlic to the pan. Cook for one minute. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and cook for 4 minutes.
- Remove mushroom mixture from the pan.
- Add the remaining butter to the same pan on high heat. Add steaks. Cook for 4 minutes. Turn over and cook for 3 more minutes. Move steaks to a sheet pan and place in the oven for 5-7 more minutes. Remove from the oven when they are at 125. Set aside tented for at least 5 minutes to rest.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining shallots and garlic to the same pan. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the madeira to the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the beef broth and the reserved mushroom mixture to the pan and simmer for 6 minutes until the sauce has reduced.
- Add the half and half to the pan, mix well and season with salt & pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.