| by Beth Maya | photography by Alex Lepe | prop styling by Deborah Points |
While contemplating what to write about this month, I had a flashback to almost five years ago. It was a beautiful sunny day in June when I married my best friend in a lovely garden wedding. Just like me, many of you will be celebrating an anniversary this month. Whether it's your first or 50th anniversary, this is a day when staying in and cooking together can be a romantic and charming way to celebrate your love. Or, if you're single, keep this tantalizing meal in your cooking arsenal as a very impressive secret culinary weapon.
When I think of a romantic Texas meal, I envision reservations at a fine steak house. The steak is always so tender, bursting with flavor and perfectly cooked, that you swear you could never duplicate it. But, you can, and for our dinner for two, we will pull out all the stops and create a classic culinary powerhouse. No reservations, tie or Uber required.
Menu:
- Pan-Seared Chateaubriand
- Filet Mignon With Truffled
- Compound Butter
- Herbed Tomato Salad
- With Burrata
- Boursin and Chive
- Whipped Potatoes
- Classic Steak House
- Creamed Spinach
- Black and White Strawberries
Yes, I know you may not have heard the term chateaubriand in a while, but let's get reacquainted. Chateaubriand is the best part of the tenderloin – the cut of beef that gives you filet mignon. Usually chateaubriand is prepared as a decadent whole roast. This is the most flavorful consistent cut, and although the entire tenderloin can be used for filet mignon, only the center cut, six to eight inches of the tenderloin can be called chateaubriand. We will be preparing it as two individual steaks and not a roast. Check with your local butcher if he or she doesn't readily offer it.
Pan-Seared ChateaubriandFilet Mignon
2, 10-ounce center-cut filets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Pull steaks from the fridge and let them come to room temperature – about 20 minutes. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high. Drizzle both sides of steaks with olive oil. Sear the steak for about three minutes, flip and sear the other side for three minutes. Using tongs, flip steaks on sides and sear, rotating steaks until all edges are browned. Using a meat thermometer, check temperature of steaks. Keep flipping steaks until internal temperature reaches about 120 degrees. Pull steaks and move both to one plate. Top steaks with compound butter and wrap plate tightly with aluminum foil. Let rest about 10 minutes. The steaks should be a perfect medium rare. Remove foil and plate. Drizzle any of the melted butter on top of steak.
Tomato Herbed SaladWith Burrata and Toast
1 pound mixed seasonal
tomatoes – heirloom, cherry or
Kumato are good choices
1 ball of fresh burrata cheese
1 half, medium red onionthinly sliced
1 bunch red or purple radishes cut in half or left whole
Several sprigs of your favorite fresh herbs thinly sliced or torn – basil, tarragon and chives are good choices
2-3 slices of crusty bread, grilled
Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste
For the salad, I like to cut the tomatoes into different sizes and simply arrange them on a platter with the radishes. Set burrata off to one side of the platter. Scatter with onion, a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, then top with chopped herbs. In addition, you can add some capers, sunflower shoots or edible flowers available at Central Market to add a bit of whimsy. Of course, you could use a store-bought vinaigrette if balsamic isn't your thing. When you are ready, slice into the burrata, slather on crisp bread and put a few tomatoes on top. Then bite into a crisp radish. This dish is part salad, part appetizer and perfect for your first course.
Boursin and ChiveWhipped Potatoes
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold
potatoes peeled, rinsed, cut
into 1-inch cubes
1 package herbed Boursin cheese
1 tablespoon salted butter
1-2 teaspoon salt for water
¼ cup milk
8 -10 fresh chives finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Put peeled, cubed and rinsed potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1-2 teaspoons of salt to water. Cover pot for faster boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cover. Check tenderness with a fork after about 15 minutes. Once tender, drain and let rest in strainer about 5 minutes to let excess steam and moisture escape. While resting, add butter and milk back to pot, and put heat on low. Add potato back to warm milk-butter mixture, add Boursin, salt and pepper. Using an electric mixer, whip potatoes until just combined. Add chives and do a quick final mix. Check seasoning, then plate. When making this dish, use your best judgment. If you need more moisture, add more milk, etc.
Steak HouseCreamed Spinach
2, 10-ounce packages washed
and drained baby spinach
3 tablespoons of butter
2 medium shallots minced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon fresh ground
black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Melt butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Once the butter is melted, add shallots and garlic. When they are translucent, about 2-3 minutes, add all spinach to pan. Sprinkle in salt and stir to incorporate mixture. Cover and let simmer 1 minute. Stir, cover and let simmer 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted, and there is quite a bit of liquid in pan. Remove lid and let most moisture from spinach evaporate, leaving just a bit. Sprinkle in flour slowly over spinach and shallot mixture and stir until you have formed a thick paste. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Combine milk, heavy cream, and black pepper together, and slowly pour over spinach mixture while stirring. Add nutmeg and stir occasionally until desired consistency and thickness is achieved. Remember, when off the heat, it will thicken slightly. Serve right away and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Black Truffle and HerbCompound Butter
1 stick unsalted European butter
1 clove garlic super finely minced
1 tablespoon of any combination of mixed herbs finely chopped – chives, parsley, thyme, and rosemary are perfect for this
¾ teaspoon black truffle salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Let butter come to room temperature. In a small bowl, mix butter and all other ingredients until well combined. Scoop butter mixture onto a sheet of wax paper and roll into a log shape. Refrigerate for about an hour. When ready to use, unwrap butter and slice into coins about ½-inch thick.
Black and WhiteStrawberries
1 carton ripe strawberries,
rinsed and patted very dry
1 half bag each of dark chocolate chips and white chocolate chips
Get a sheet tray and line with parchment or wax paper. Put dark chocolate chips in a glass bowl. Make sure bowl is clean and completely dry, as any presence of moisture will cause your chocolate to seize. Microwave the chips for exactly 30 seconds. Remove from microwave, and using a rubber spatula, mix chips well to distribute heat, about one minute. Put back in microwave and heat another 30 seconds. Remove and stir again about one minute. If all chips are not completely melted after stirring, heat again at 15-second intervals, stirring in between until you have a silky smooth chocolate. Working quickly, dip each strawberry ¾ of the way up and set on tray. Once the tray is full, put strawberries in the fridge for about 10 minutes until chocolate is firm. Repeat the same method with the white chips. Drizzle the white chocolate over the strawberries in whatever pattern you like, or you may choose to dip one side to make a half-and-half look. Put back in the fridge for another 10 minutes. Once chocolate is completely set, pull from fridge and move to a platter. Leave strawberries at room temperature until you are ready to eat.
Special thank you to Central Market for providing the food for the recipes. To see more work from Beth Maya, visitfoodbybethmaya.com.