Ah…  the joys of Gift Cards…

Victor’s mom got us a gift card for Christmas so I thought I would exchange it for a ridiculously-expensive piece of meat.  A seasoned filet mignon roast.  I mean…  why not?!?  I think the whole concept of gift cards is to buy something you would not normally buy yourself, and a filet roast is definitely something I would not normally buy.

Or cook and serve on a non-occasion Tuesday.

But that’s  the other half of the fun.  Doing the unexpected.

I pan-seared the roast then put it into a 375° over for about 30 minutes.  I didn’t use a thermometer with this – just the look-and-touch method.  After all these years, the touch is still there – perfectly rare in the center.

A filet roast on a non-occasion Tuesday requires more than mere potatoes and vegetable.  I did a gorgonzola mashed yukon gold potato and French green beans with mushrooms, garlic, and almonds.

And a semi-classic Béarnaise sauce for the beef.

I have had such incredibly-good luck with blender hollandaise and blender béarnaise that I will probably never whisk one over simmering water ever again.  Really.

Just too easy.

Béarnaise Sauce

  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 tsp dry tarragon (or 1 tbsp fresh)
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 stick butter
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp tarragon vinegar

Place shallot, tarragon, pepper, and wine in small saucepan.  Reduce to about 1 1/2 tablespoons of liquid.  Strain.

Melt the butter, keeping it hot.

Add egg yolks and tarragon vinegar to blender.  Mix.  With blender running at high speed, slowly dribble in the hot butter.  When butter is all added, whirl in the wine reduction.

Enjoy.

The potatoes were simply boiled and mashed with a bit of gorgonzola, butter, milk, salt, and pepper.  I rarely peel the potatoes and I like lumps.  Your mileage may vary.

The green beans were steamed and then sauteed with mushrooms, fresh minced garlic, and a handful of sliced almonds.  A bit of salt and pepper finished them off.

Not bad for a non-occasion Tuesday dinner.