In France, filet mignon usually means pork tenderloin. The cut of meat known as filet mignon in the US is called filet de boeuf in France. Morel mushrooms are a treat of nature — only available from the wild and prized for their honeycomb texture and rich, earthy flavor. Combine them with a splash of cream and a hot pan to create an entree worthy of starring at your next dinner party… or the next time you have a hankering for morels.

— Serves 2

*Items marked in green are available from The Gourmet Corner.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz dried morel mushrooms
• 2 8 oz beef tenderloin steaks
• 2 Tb. butter
• 3/4 cup green onions
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/2 Tb. fresh tarragon
• 2 Tb. dry Marsala
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

Place the dried morels in a bowl and add 1 1/2 cups of hot water to them. Soak them until they are soft, which will take about 20 minutes. Remove the morels from the liquid and lightly squeeze them to remove any liquid inside them. Cut any large mushrooms in half, lengthwise. Drain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter to remove any grit, and reserve 1/2 cup of the drained soaking liquid for the sauce.

Heat a heavy, dry sauté pan on high heat for 4 minutes, then turn the heat down to medium. Meanwhile pat the steaks dry and then lightly oil both sides of the steaks with olive oil (about 1/2 teaspoon per steak), and then sprinkle both sides of the steaks with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Place both steaks in the sauté pan, and let them sear for 3 minutes. Do not move the steaks during this time in order to ensure that a good sear forms on them; the steaks should develop a well-browned sear instead of appearing grey after cooking. Flip the steaks over with tongs and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pan with a lid to continue cooking. Use a meat thermometer to determine when the steak is done by measuring the center of the steak – 120F for rare, 130F for medium rare (tenderloin should not be cooked above medium rare). Remove the steaks from
the pan and tent them with aluminum foil while they rest.

Add the butter, morels and chopped green onions to the sauté pan and sauté them until they are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the cream, 1 Tb. of chopped tarragon, Marsala and 1/2 cup of reserved soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens to a light consistency, which will take about 5 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Place the steaks on plates and add any juices that escaped from them to the sauce. Pour the sauce over the steaks, sprinkle with the remaining tarragon and serve.