I came across a steak recipe the other day on the BBC Food website that sounded kinda interesting. It was a filet crusted in cashews and topped with a mushroom sauce – my kind of meal. We didn’t have any cashews in the house, but we did have pistachios. I went to work.
Steak and Mushrooms
adapted from Paul Rankin/BBC Food
For the beef with pistachio crust:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 8oz beef fillet
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp truffle mustard
- 2oz breadcrumbs
- 2oz pistachios, roughly crushed
- tbsp chopped fresh parsley
For the wild mushroom sauce:
- 2oz butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 4oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1oz dried mushrooms
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup brandy
- salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
For the beef with cashew crust, rub the beef all over with olive oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat an ovenproof frying pan until hot and fry the beef for 2 minutes on each side. Spread the mustard over the beef.
Place the breadcrumbs, pistachios, and parsley into a bowl and mix well. Press this mixture onto the mustard-covered beef, then transfer to the oven and bake for five minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown and the beef is cooked to your liking.
For the wild mushroom sauce, boil the beef stock and soak the dried mushrooms. Drain, reserving liquid.
Heat the butter and oil in a skillet and gently fry the shallot and garlic until softened.
Add the sliced mushrooms and soaked mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have softened. Add the brandy and reduce by half. Add the reserved broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Boil until reduced by half. You may thicken, slightly, if desired.
To serve, place the beef onto a plate and top with sauce.
With the potatoes and carrots, it was one of those meals that took an awful lot of pots and pans – but it was worth it. The steaks came out perfectly cooked, the mushrooms were rich and flavorful, and who can argue with baby carrots and dill?
I used one strip steak, cut in half – we both had 8oz steaks – and neither of us finished them. Blanche was extremely happy!
So were we.