FILET MIGNON WITH COGNAC MUSHROOM SAUCE
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Celebrate the Holiday Season with this episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Wine Time with Peggy” podcast that focuses on Wine and Food Pairings, Gifts for Wine Lovers, Tasting Experiences, Peggy’s Wine Term of the Month, plus, tips on making her recipe featured below. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the episode on Podbean.
Serving 4, this recipe is from Peggy Fiandaca of LDV Winery in Arizona.
Ingredients –
4 (8-ounce) filet mignons (no more than 1 ½ inch thick)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
5 T unsalted butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms (baby portobello, stemmed shiitake, cremini, or white button mushrooms)
1 head roasted garlic, cloves separated and peeled
7 T cognac
6 T light brown sugar
¾ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 T chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Directions –
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before cooking.
Season the beef with salt on all sides. Place coarse pepper in a shallow dish and dip the cut sides of the filets into the pepper, pressing lightly to coat.
Heat 1 T of butter in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and sear on both sides until well browned, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer steaks to an oven-proof baking dish and place in the oven. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare.
While the steaks are cooking in the oven, add 1 T of the remaining butter to the same sauté pan used. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and reserve.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add the garlic cloves and 6 T of cognac to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any browned particles from the bottom of the pan. Return the skillet to the heat, and be careful the cognac does not flame up. Cook until reduced by half; this will happen quickly.
Add 2 T of the remaining butter and the brown sugar, stirring to combine. When the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbly, whisk in the cream, reduce the heat to medium-high, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is sauce-like and coats the back of a spoon.
Add the reserved mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and whisk the remaining 1 T of butter and the remaining tablespoon of cognac.
To Serve –
Place fillets on a serving platter and pour mushroom cognac sauce over the top. Garnish with chopped parsley.
