Tournedos Brabançonne

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four 4-inch (10 cm) shallow tartlet tins
• •Rolling pin
• •Parchment and pastry weights
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Wide sauté pan
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the tartlet dough

   Mix the flour and salt, then rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few small flakes of butter remaining. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and press a handful together. If it holds, stop; if it crumbles, add the remaining water a teaspoon at a time. Gather without kneading, flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. If the dough becomes sticky, chill it rather than adding handfuls of flour. Ça se rattrape.

   Visible flecks of cold butter give the shells their crispness. Work quickly and leave them alone.
2. 2

   Blind-bake the shells

   Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Line four 4-inch (10 cm) shallow tartlet tins, pressing the pastry into the corners without stretching it. Trim the rims, prick the bases, and chill for 10 minutes. Line with parchment and weights, then bake for 14 minutes. Remove the weights and paper and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until the bases are dry and pale gold. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a baking sheet.

3. 3

   Stew the sprouts

   Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and add the blanching salt. Add the Brussels sprouts and parboil for 3 minutes, just until a knife begins to enter their centers. Drain thoroughly and spread them on a towel so no water follows them into the butter. Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium-low heat, add the sprouts, and roll them through it until glossy. Cover and cook gently for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until tender but still holding their shape. Larger sprouts may be halved after blanching; the look changes, but the dish's intent does not.

4. 4

   Build the Mornay

   Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook this roux for 90 seconds without letting it color. Whisk in the warm milk gradually, reserving 2 tablespoons, then simmer gently for 4 minutes until smooth and thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, Gruyère, Parmesan, nutmeg, white pepper, and salt. If the Mornay is too tight, loosen it with the reserved milk, one teaspoon at a time. If it forms lumps, pass it through a fine sieve; if the cheese releases a little oil, take the pan off the heat and whisk in a spoonful of cold cream. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Glaze the tartlets

   Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches (15 cm) below it. Divide the butter-stewed sprouts among the tartlet shells and cover each with a generous spoonful of Mornay, letting the rounded tops remain faintly visible. Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching without wandering away, until the sauce bubbles at the edges and takes scattered bronze spots. This domestic broiler replaces the salamander exactly where it matters. Set the glazed tartlets near the stove, uncovered, while the beef cooks.

6. 6

   Ready the potatoes

   Bring the Pommes de Terre Fondantes (No. 2214) to serving temperature according to their own preparation. Hold them covered in a 200°F (95°C) oven for no more than 15 minutes. Have the tartlets, potatoes, four warm plates, and serving utensils ready before heating the beef skillet. From this point onward, the tournedos set the clock.

7. 7

   Sear the tournedos

   Pat the tournedos completely dry and season both sides with salt and black pepper. Heat a heavy 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of clarified butter, and wait until it shimmers. Set in the tournedos with space between them and fry undisturbed for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, until deeply bronzed underneath. Turn and cook for 2 minutes, then lower the heat to medium, add the fresh butter, and baste for 30 to 60 seconds. Pull the beef at 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare or 135°F (57°C) for medium. For anyone who requires fully cooked beef, take it to 145°F (63°C) and rest it for at least 3 minutes. If the butter blackens before the crust forms, lift out the steaks, carefully wipe the pan with folded paper held in tongs, add the reserved clarified butter, and continue over slightly lower heat. Ça se rattrape. Overcooked fillet does not, so trust the thermometer.

   A dry surface and a properly heated pan make the crust. Pressing the steaks or turning them repeatedly only cools the skillet.
8. 8

   Rest and assemble

   Rest the tournedos for 4 minutes, loosely covered, then remove the twine. Set one glazed Brussels sprout tartlet in the center of each warm plate and place a tournedos directly on top. Spoon a little of the basting butter over the beef and arrange three fondant potatoes around each tartlet as a generous border. Serve at once, while the pastry remains crisp and the fillet is still rosy. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for four center-cut tournedos of identical thickness. The narrow tail of the tenderloin cooks too quickly for this arrangement; even pieces let one skillet serve the whole table together.
• •Choose the smallest Brussels sprouts available. If the fresh ones are yellowing or loose-leaved, petite frozen sprouts are the more honest choice; thaw and dry them thoroughly, then skip the parboil and stew them directly in butter.
• •Clarified butter is still butter, with the milk solids removed so it can take the fierce heat the fillet needs. Use fresh whole butter for the final baste, when its flavor can remain without scorching. We don't apologize for butter.
• •Pour a mature red Bordeaux with enough freshness to meet the Mornay, or a Cabernet Franc from the Loire if you prefer something lighter. The tenderloin is delicate, so avoid a heavily tannic bottle that overwhelms it.

Advance Preparation

• •Bake the tartlet shells up to one day ahead and keep them airtight at room temperature. Recrisp them for 5 minutes in a 350°F (175°C) oven before filling.
• •Parboil and dry the Brussels sprouts up to one day ahead. Keep them chilled, then stew them in butter shortly before filling the tartlets.
• •Make the Mornay up to one day ahead and press parchment directly against its surface. Reheat it over low heat, using the reserved milk to restore its coating consistency.
• •Prepare the Pommes de Terre Fondantes (No. 2214) from their own entry before the final service sequence. The tournedos themselves should be fried only when every other component is ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 570g)