Tournedos Mireille

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •2 ovenproof 6-ounce (180 ml) ramekins
• •2-quart heavy saucepan and frying thermometer
• •Small lidded saucepan
• •Small saucepan for the tomato fondue
• •Wire draining rack
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Warm oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Reduce the tomatoes

   Melt 2 teaspoons of the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the tomatoes, a pinch of the measured salt, and a little pepper. Cook uncovered for 12 to 18 minutes, stirring more often as the moisture disappears, until the tomatoes collapse into a glossy, spoonable fondue measuring about 2 heaped tablespoons. If liquid still runs around the tomatoes, raise the heat briefly; if they catch before softening, add a teaspoon of water and scrape the pan. Ça se rattrape. Cover and keep warm.

2. 2

   Coat the croustades

   Heat the frying oil to 350°F (175°C) in a narrow, heavy saucepan, filling it no more than halfway. Dip the outside of each ramekin briefly in tepid water, then turn out the chilled Duchesse potato mouldings for Croûtes et Croustades (No. 2393). Paner à l'anglaise means coating with flour, egg preparation, and crumbs: dust each moulding lightly with flour, coat it completely with the Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174), then roll it in the breadcrumbs without squeezing it out of shape.

3. 3

   Fry and hollow

   Lower the coated potato mouldings into the oil one at a time and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning carefully, until the crust is evenly deep gold. Drain the Croûtes et Croustades (No. 2393) on a rack for one minute, then cut a neat circle in each top and hollow the centre with a small spoon, leaving walls about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. If a fine crack appears, press a little warm potato from the hollowed centre against it and return the croustade to the oil for 20 seconds. Keep both croustades on a rack in a 200°F (95°C) oven for no more than 30 minutes. Wash and dry the ramekins for the rice.

4. 4

   Make the pilaff

   Melt 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter in a small lidded saucepan. Soften the onion over medium-low heat without coloring it, about 3 minutes, then add the rice and stir until every grain gleams with butter. Add the stock, bay leaf, and 1/4 teaspoon of the measured salt. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and cook over the gentlest heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and rest, still covered, for 10 minutes. If the rice remains wet, remove the lid and stir it over low heat for a minute or two; a damp pilaff will not hold its mould.

5. 5

   Mould the rice

   Remove the bay leaf and fluff the pilaff gently. Butter the two clean ramekins with the remaining 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, then pack half the rice into each, pressing firmly enough to hold without crushing the grains into paste. Cover and place the ramekins in the low oven beside the croustades. Warm an oval serving platter at the same time.

6. 6

   Prepare the tournedos

   Pat the tournedos thoroughly dry and season all over with the remaining salt and pepper. Leave them uncovered for 10 minutes while a 12-inch heavy skillet heats over medium-high heat. Dry beef browns; damp beef boils in its own surface moisture. Keep the tomato fondue warm and the garnishes in the oven, because once the beef enters the pan, nothing else gets your attention.

7. 7

   Sear in butter

   Raise the skillet to high heat and add the clarified butter. When it runs in quick ripples across the pan, add the tournedos with space between them. Sear untouched for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, turn, and cook the second side for another 2 to 3 minutes; roll the edges briefly through the butter for even color. Remove at 125 to 128°F (52 to 53°C) for medium-rare or 130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C) for medium, then rest for 5 minutes. If liquid pools and the meat begins turning grey, lift the tournedos out, transfer the liquid to the resting plate, and let the empty pan regain fierce heat before researing each face for 30 seconds. Ça se rattrape.

8. 8

   Finish the garnishes

   Rewarm the tomato fondue over low heat. If it has tightened into a paste, loosen it with a teaspoon of water; if it runs, boil it for a few seconds. Fill each hot croustade with one heaped tablespoon. Run a thin knife around the rice, dip each ramekin base briefly in warm water, and turn the two timbales onto the heated platter.

9. 9

   Build the ring

   Arrange the four tournedos in the centre of the warm platter. Surround them with the two rice timbales and two filled croustades, alternating one with the other as the source directs. Spoon the resting juices and a little of the browned clarified butter over the beef. Do not invent a pan sauce here: buttered fillet, pilaff, crisp potato, and concentrated tomato are the intended balance. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The arithmetic is deliberate. The source gives five croustades and five rice timbales for ten tournedos, so four tournedos receive two of each. More garnish would change the plate's proportions, not improve its generosity.
• •Ask for four centre-cut tenderloin medallions of equal thickness. Weight matters less than uniformity, because four mismatched pieces force you to choose between a pale thick steak and an overcooked thin one.
• •Clarified butter is still real butter, with the milk solids removed so the pan can become properly hot. Ordinary whole butter burns before a thick tournedos develops its crust; neutral oil lacks the flavor the source requires.
• •When tomatoes are tired or out of season, use good canned whole tomatoes, drain them, and chop them finely. The fondue depends on concentration, not fresh-tomato sentiment.
• •Serve a medium-bodied red Burgundy or a restrained Bordeaux. The fillet is tender rather than fatty, and the tomato fondue rewards freshness in the wine more than brute weight.

Advance Preparation

• •The Duchesse potato mouldings for Croûtes et Croustades (No. 2393) may be packed into the buttered ramekins and chilled several hours ahead. Keep them covered so the surface does not dry.
• •The Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174) and breadcrumbs may be set out earlier in the day. Coat the mouldings only when the frying oil is nearly ready.
• •The tomato fondue can be cooked one day ahead and chilled. Reheat it slowly with a teaspoon of water if it has tightened.
• •The rice timbales and fried croustades can wait in a 200°F (95°C) oven for about 30 minutes. Sear the tournedos only when everyone is ready to eat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 285g)