Ingredients (serves 2)
450 – 500g beef fillet steak
100g shiitake mushrooms
20g butter
Micro herbs or parsley (garnish)
Extra – virgin olive oil
Sea salt & cracked pepper
Potato & Leek Puree
30g butter
2 med potatoes, peeled, chopped
1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
3 thyme sprigs
Porcini Glaze
20g dried porcini mushrooms*
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup shallots, finely chopped
150ml red wine
250ml beef stock
20g butter, chopped
Method
- For porcini glaze, soak dried porcini mushrooms in ½ cup boiling water. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, place shallots and trimmings from the beef fillet into the pan and sauté beef until golden. Remove the porcini mushroom from the liquid and set it aside, chop mushrooms and add to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and reduce, then add reserved porcini liquid and stock and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until reduced by half. Strain liquid and return to a pan over medium-high heat, whisk in chilled butter a piece at a time, and reduce the liquid until the glaze is syrupy and rich, season to taste (the glaze is usually quiet rich, so you won’t need a lot of it, remember less is more!), chill in the fridge if preparing the day before. Reheat just before serving.
- For potato and leek puree, add 30g butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add leek, potato and thyme and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 ½ cups water and a pinch of salt and bring to boil, reduce heat and cook until potato is tender, drain reserving the liquid. Place potatoes and leeks in a blender and puree until smooth, add some reserved liquid for a silky smooth puree). Pass through a fine sieve and season to taste with salt. Refrigerate puree if prepared the day before and reheat before serving.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat a pan over high heat, add a little oil and brown the beef fillet on all sides, remove from the pan and place on a baking tray and cook for 10 minutes for medium-rare or cook the beef to your liking, or use a thermometer to help here. Remove and rest for 10 minutes. Slice a little off each end of the fillet then cut in half and get ready to serve.
- For the mushrooms, using the same pan as the beef add a little olive oil and butter, place shiitake mushrooms in the pan and lightly sauté mushrooms, and get ready to serve.
To Serve
On two serving plates, spoon porcini glaze a little off the centre of each plate, place each fillet, resting cut side up in the middle of each plate. Pipe or spoon potato and leek puree at the front edge of fillet and arrange mushrooms near the side. Garnish with micro herbs and serve.
Chef's Notes
*Dried porcini mushrooms can be found at supermarkets and gourmet food stores. You could serve a side of beans, broccolini or asparagus with this main course. Porcini glaze and potato and leek puree can be prepared the day before.