Good Morning, everyone! This week was really special for us because we had some great friends from out of town visiting who especially planned their trip so they could experience a Sunday dinner with us! So we asked them what they would love to eat, and their only request was that the grill was used, since they don't have a grill themselves. So we looked back at the blog, saw that our Filet Mignon post from a few months ago is the most read post in the blog, and decided we'd have to revisit one of our favorite steaks. Enjoy...
Cocktail - Lavender-Rosemary Martini
Lavender and rosemary infused simple syrup, vodka, grapefruit seltzer, elderflower liqueur
Okay, so we tried to go "outside the box" on this one, and we may have taken a step or two too far outside. We wanted to do something herb-based, since our appetizer was so savory. In essence, the concept was good, but the flavor just wasn't perfect. Something was missing, but we couldn't figure it out. (That's ok, we finished it anyways!)
Appetizer - Goat Cheese and Herb Souffle
Oh. My. God. Fantastic! In the oven, the souffle had puffed much more, and as soon as we took it out, it deflated, but who cares! It was delicious! We followed the recipe exactly as written, and it turned into perfection!
Appetizer Wine - 2010 Domaine Mardon Quincy
Wine Advocate - 90/100
Superb! This full-bodied French white made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes is very similar to a Sancerre and was the perfect pairing for our souffle! The nose was extremely vibrant with almonds and herbs, and the taste included stone fruits, a little pineapple, and a nice crisp finish with minimal acidity.
Entree - Filet Mignon with Three Different Sauces
Sauce 1: Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Sauce 2: Roasted Shallot and Port Wine Reduction
Sauce 3: Caramel Brandy Mushroom Sauce
What a fantastic way to entertain! And a creative way to dress up a regular "steak night" and turn it into something special. Let's talk sauces... first off, they were all made the night before hand. Then reheated stove top as the steaks were grilling. (Gorgonzola sauce reheated over a double boiler.)
Gorgonzola Sauce - The crowd favorite. (Barely.) This sauce, while simple, was rich, decadent, and beautiful on the steak. It reminded me of a Bearnaise with a kick. We forgot the parsley (oops) and did add a couple turns of a "spicy garlic" mix from a spice mill we picked up from Stew Leonards.
Mushroom Sauce - Delicious. The only change to this sauce was that we halved the brown sugar, and it was plenty sweet. The combination of sweet sugar, rich bourbon, heavy cream, and earthy mushrooms was an exotic combination that you will not find elsewhere.
Shallot and Port Wine Sauce - Classic and tasty. Foolproof to make, and always delicious to eat. This sauce would probably taste delicious over pork tenderloin medallions!
Overall, a fantastic meal! There is a ton of leftover sauce, and we'll try to figure out some creative ways to reuse them. However, I will add that we are using the leftover gorgonzola sauce in place of roasted garlic butter and making Steak Frites tonight as a round 2 recipe. (Seriously... have you yet seen us repeat or mention re-making something? This is our 3rd time remaking Steak Frites... give it a shot!)
Side Dish - Grilled Zucchini and Squash, Grilled Kale, Twice Baked Potatoes
Grilled Veggies - Brush with olive oil, salt and pepper, grill
Grilled Kale - See instructions above for veggies, and then squeeze fresh lemon juice on when done
Twice Baked Potatoes - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ultimate-twice-baked-potatoes/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=twice%20baked%20potatoes&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
The potatoes were made in advance and reheated approximately 20 minutes in the oven. They were delicious! The kale was fantastic (as usual... this is also a repeat for us) and the grilled veggies were healthy and fresh! Great grilled side dishes for a fantastic grilled meal.
Entree Wine - 2010 Dolcetto d'Alba Rossana Ceretto
Wine Rating - Can't Find and Don't Care
Greg and Christelle over at Harry's Wine in Fairfield, CT really just knocked it out of the park this time. Not only was the white wine fantastic, but this red was incredible! This ruby red Italian wine is full of ripe fruits with a slight aroma of leather and tobacco. It's nicely dry with an incredible fruit on the palate as well as a slight almond taste. Not only did it pair well with the food, but it also was easy to drink beforehand while we were prepping the plates.
Dessert - Chocolate Panna Cotta with Port and Balsamic Glazed Cherries
Oh wow, this was rich and luxurious! Once again, this was made a day in advance (both the sauce and the panna cotta) and it was fantastic! We used glass Pyrex ramekins, and followed the recipe's advice to remove them by using a little warm water and a silicone spatula, and it worked perfectly! The sauce was smooth and elegant and the panna cotta was insanely delicious! We did pair the dessert with a port, but I would recommend pairing it with a dry Asti or Moscato. The port was a little too rich combined with the heavy dessert.
Special thanks to A&D for joining us, and especially for bringing some additional fabulous wines with them. We enjoyed a 2007 Nickel and Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon as well as a 2007 Stag's Leap Artemis Cabernet that were both incredible! We were so blessed to be joined by such foodies with an equally strong passion for wine!
Next Week - Vegetarian
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