Filet de Bœuf Dubarry

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch / 30-cm ovenproof skillet
• •Four 6-ounce / 175-ml ramekins or dariole moulds
• •2-quart / 2-litre heavy saucepan
• •Long broiler-safe platter or shallow metal gratin dish
• •Narrow paring knife
• •Butcher's twine
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Warmed sauceboat

Instructions

1. 1

   Mould the cauliflower

   Heat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Butter four 6-ounce / 175-ml ramekins with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Boil the cauliflower in well-salted water until a knife enters the stems without resistance but the florets still hold their shape, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly, then return it to the dry warm pan for a minute so clinging water evaporates; wet cauliflower dilutes the Mornay. Arrange a few handsome florets crown-side against each mould, pack the remaining pieces firmly behind them, and press gently with the back of a spoon. Set the moulds aside.

2. 2

   Lard and tie

   Dry the fillet. Push a narrow paring knife lengthwise into one cut end to make three evenly spaced tunnels, each reaching halfway through the roast; repeat from the other end without widening the openings. Slide one chilled bacon baton into each tunnel. This replaces the larding needle while preserving its purpose, small seams of pork fat running through the lean fillet. Tie the roast at 1 1/2-inch / 4-cm intervals, then season it with 1 teaspoon of the salt and half the pepper.

3. 3

   Roast the fillet

   Heat the oil in a 12-inch / 30-cm ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the fillet on every side, including the ends, 6 to 8 minutes in all. Lower the heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter, and baste for 30 seconds before transferring the skillet to the oven. Roast until the centre reaches 125°F / 52°C for medium-rare or 135°F / 57°C for medium, about 18 to 25 minutes; it will rise several degrees while resting. Move the beef to a board, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 20 minutes. Keep the skillet and every brown trace of fond, the caramelized film on its floor. If the fond threatens to turn black before the meat is ready, add 2 tablespoons of the measured stock, scrape it into a cup, and save it for the gravy. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Make the Mornay

   While the beef roasts, reserve 2 tablespoons of the milk and warm the remainder with the cream. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, stir in 2 tablespoons of flour, and cook this roux, the butter-and-flour base, over gentle heat for 2 minutes without letting it colour. Whisk in the warm dairy by small additions, making each one smooth before adding the next. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce reaches nappe, meaning it coats the back of a spoon in a thick, even layer. Remove it from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the Gruyère, all the Parmesan, the nutmeg, and a restrained pinch each of salt and pepper. Do not boil after the cheese enters. If the Mornay becomes grainy, take it off the heat and whisk in the reserved cold milk a spoonful at a time; if it is lumpy, pass it through a fine sieve. Keep it covered directly on the surface.

5. 5

   Thicken the gravy

   Lower the oven to 350°F / 175°C and warm the cauliflower moulds in it for 8 minutes while the beef rests. Set the roasting skillet over medium heat, add the remaining stock and any saved fond, and scrape the pan clean. Pour in the beef's resting juices, then reduce until about 1 cup / 240 ml remains and the flavour tastes concentrated rather than salty. Knead the remaining 1 tablespoon softened butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour to make beurre manié, soft butter worked with flour. Whisk it into the simmering gravy in small pieces and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until glossy and just thick enough to coat a spoon. If it tightens too far, loosen it with stock or water; if it remains thin, simmer another minute. Strain into a warmed sauceboat and serve it separately, exactly as the dish requires.

6. 6

   Gratin and serve

   Heat the broiler and place a rack about 6 inches / 15 cm below it. Set the rested fillet lengthwise on a long broiler-safe platter. Run a thin knife around each warm cauliflower mould and invert the four mounds around the beef. If one slumps, gather it back into a ball with two spoons; the Mornay will hold it. Cloak each mound generously with sauce and sprinkle over the remaining Gruyère. Shield the fillet loosely with foil, leaving the cauliflower exposed, and apply the rapid finish from Gratins (No. 268) for 2 to 4 minutes, just until the Mornay bubbles at the edges and the cheese forms a mottled bronze crown. Rotate the platter if the broiler colours unevenly. Remove the foil, cut away the twine, and carry the fillet whole to the table with the gravy beside it. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for the evenly cylindrical centre section of the tenderloin. A tapering fillet gives you three degrees of doneness in one roast, which may please a crowd but makes the timing far less calm.
• •Use fully cooked cured bacon for the internal lardons. It preserves the source dish's streaks of pork fat without leaving raw bacon inside beef cooked pink. Keep the batons cold and firm so they slide cleanly through the tunnels.
• •The Mornay must be thick before it meets the cauliflower. The broiler is there to colour the surface, not reduce a loose sauce; if the sauce runs from the spoon like milk, simmer it a little longer.
• •Confirm that the serving platter is approved for broiler heat. An ordinary porcelain platter may crack under the element; a shallow metal gratin dish is the honest alternative.
• •For guests who need fully cooked meat, roast the fillet to 145°F / 63°C and rest it for at least 3 minutes. The cauliflower and gravy need no other change.
• •Pour a composed red Bordeaux with enough freshness for the Mornay, not the heaviest bottle in the cupboard. The fillet is tender, and the cauliflower sauce wants restraint.

Advance Preparation

• •Lard and tie the fillet up to 12 hours ahead. Keep it covered in the cold, then dry and season it immediately before browning.
• •Cook and mould the cauliflower up to 6 hours ahead. Chill the covered moulds, then warm them at 350°F / 175°C for 10 to 12 minutes while the beef rests.
• •The Mornay can be made one day ahead. Press buttered parchment directly onto its surface, chill it, and reheat over low heat with the reserved milk until it again coats the spoon.
• •Reduce the stock by one-third earlier in the day if desired, but add the fresh pan fond and resting juices at service. Those are the gravy's foundation and cannot be prepared in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 600g)