Filet de Bœuf Saint-Germain

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy oven-safe skillet
• •Two lidded sauté pans, 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm)
• •Narrow metal skewer or sharp paring knife for larding
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Six 3-ounce (90 ml) dariole moulds or oven-safe ramekins
• •Long serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the sequence

   Remove the beef from the cold 45 minutes before roasting and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Have the finished Moulded Pease Purée for Garnish (No. 2196) prepared in six small moulds according to its own entry. Shape the vegetables, measure the butter into three portions, and set out the long platter now. Once the beef begins roasting, the garnishes must move in order.

2. 2

   Lard the fillet

   Use a narrow metal skewer or sharp paring knife to make eight channels through the beef, running parallel to its length. Push a chilled baton of fatback into each channel, distributing them evenly through the roast. If the fat softens and buckles, stop and chill it again for five minutes. Ça se rattrape. Tie the fillet at 1 1/2-inch (4 cm) intervals so it forms an even cylinder, then season it with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and all the pepper.

3. 3

   Start the potatoes

   Put the potatoes in a sauté pan with 4 tablespoons of the butter, 3/4 cup (180 ml) of the water, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cover and hold them at a gentle simmer, rolling them occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes. They should be nearly tender when pierced but still pale. Remove the lid and let the water cook away, then take the pan off the heat once only butter remains. The final browning comes later, so the potatoes reach the platter hot.

4. 4

   Roast the fillet

   Heat a heavy oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the foam subsides, brown the fillet on every side, including the ends, for 6 to 8 minutes. Put the skillet in the oven and roast for 12 to 18 minutes, basting once, until the center registers 120 to 125°F (49 to 52°C) for medium-rare or 135°F (57°C) for medium. If the butter turns black and smells bitter, transfer the beef to a clean pan with fresh butter before it goes into the oven. Burned butter needn't follow the roast. Rest the beef loosely covered for 15 minutes; carryover heat will raise its center several degrees.

5. 5

   Glaze the carrots

   While the beef roasts, arrange the olive-shaped carrots in a single layer in a wide pan. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water. Cover with a lid set slightly ajar and simmer gently for 12 to 18 minutes, until the carrots are tender but still hold their precise shape. Uncover and roll them through the reducing liquid until each carrot wears a clear butter glaze. If the pan dries before they are tender, add water one tablespoon at a time; if they are tender while liquid remains, lift them out, reduce the glaze, and return them briefly.

6. 6

   Brown the potatoes

   Return the potato pan to medium heat while the beef rests. Roll the potatoes through their butter for 5 to 7 minutes, until their rounded surfaces are evenly golden and the centers are tender. Season with another 1/4 teaspoon of salt. If the butter colors faster than the potatoes, lower the heat and add a spoonful of water; the butter will settle, and the potatoes can finish without acquiring a bitter crust.

7. 7

   Unmould the timbales

   While the beef rests, lower the oven to 325°F (160°C). If the finished Moulded Pease Purée for Garnish (No. 2196) has been chilled, stand the moulds in a shallow pan of hot water, cover loosely, and warm them for 8 to 12 minutes, just until hot at the center. Remove them from the water immediately, because prolonged heat dulls the green and tightens the eggs. Loosen only the upper rim, invert each mould, and lift it straight up. If one clings, dip its base in hot water for five seconds and invert it again. Do not pry at the sides.

8. 8

   Build the platter

   Warm the long platter with hot water and dry it well. Remove the string from the fillet and set the roast lengthwise in the center, spooning its resting juices over the browned surface. Make a generous heap of glazed carrots at each end, then place a heap of buttered potatoes on either side of each carrot group. Arrange three green timbales in a row along each long side of the fillet. Carry it whole to the table and carve there. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for an evenly thick center-cut fillet. The tapered tail cooks before the broad center is ready, while a true center cut roasts evenly and makes the formal long presentation possible.
• •Use unsmoked fatback for larding, not streaky or smoked bacon. The fatback bastes the lean fillet from within without changing its flavor; smoke would take command of the whole platter.
• •For the Moulded Pease Purée for Garnish (No. 2196), frozen petits pois are the honest choice outside fresh-pea season. Follow that preparation's quick cooking and rapid cooling without pause, since lingering heat is what turns the purée khaki.
• •Turning the carrots into olives is not merely decoration. Their equal size lets every piece glaze at the same moment. Save the trimmings for soup or a vegetable purée.
• •The butter is part of the garnish, not just pan grease. Use real unsalted butter; margarine cannot give the carrots their clear glaze or the potatoes their clean hazelnut finish. We don't apologize for butter.
• •The source calls for no sauce, and none is missing. The fillet's resting juices, the carrot glaze, the butter on the potatoes, and the creamy timbales give the platter all the moisture it needs.

Advance Preparation

• •Turn the carrots one day ahead and refrigerate them beneath a damp towel in a covered container. The potatoes may be peeled up to four hours ahead and held in cold water, then dried thoroughly before cooking.
• •The fillet may be larded and tied the morning of service. Refrigerate it uncovered, then bring it out 45 minutes before roasting and season it just before it meets the pan.
• •The Moulded Pease Purée for Garnish (No. 2196) may be prepared earlier the same day, chilled promptly in its moulds, and rewarmed gently while the fillet rests. Keep the moulds covered so the surface does not dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 585g)