Filets with Vanilla Bourbon Sauce and Garlic Red Potatoes

Some days you just want a big juicy steak. And potatoes. And bourbon. All at the same time. Clearly, this was a meal that Eric designed. We've been hanging onto a vanilla bourbon sauce for a few months now, and the potatoes have been a fancy staple for a few years. Putting them together with a pan-seared filet mignon was one of the best tasting decisions we've made all year. The sauce is seriously good enough to eat all by itself, but it definitely tastes better with steak. The potatoes are based on a technique we saw on the Food Network one day (yeah, we sit around watching the food network, when Eric doesn't have a Sharks game on). Now a more elaborate method for these potatoes would be to alternate garlic with small pats of butter and mix in any other spices or accents you want, but we generally like just the garlic.We were planing on serving this between Wednesday's Brushetta and Monday's Tart, but as you can see from the pictures here, too much food for two people, so print out the recipes for this whole week and invite some friends over! 

Pictures and Recipe after the break

Filets With A Vanilla Bourbon Sauce
What You Will Need

1 filet per person
salt and pepper
1 Tbs canola oil

4 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbs bourbon
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375*

Salt and pepper your steaks and heat an oven safe skillet on medium high until searing hot.  Add the oil and sear your steaks until browned about 3 minutes per side. Then pop the whole skillet in the oven and cook about 10-12 minutes for medium rare.

While the steaks are cooking, combine the cream and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook until the sugar is dissolved. 

In another small bowl whisk the egg yolks until they are a light yellow.  Next you will need to bring the egg yolks up to temperature by whisking in a small amount of the hot cream at a time so the yolks won't scramble.  Keep adding the cream until there is an equal amount of cream and eggs in your bowl, then pour everything back into the sauce pot and continue cooking on medium, constantly whisking and making sure that it does not boil! IMPORTANT! DO NOT LET THIS BOIL! After about 5 minutes the sauce will thicken and at this point you will need to pull it off the heat, whisk another minute and strain through a sieve so any cooked egg particles will get thrown away. 

Add the bourbon and vanilla and whisk in, set aside and keep warm.

Pull Your steaks out but let them rest under a tin foil tent for 10 minutes so the juices can redistribute back into the meat. 

Serve steaks with a few Garlic Roasted Potatoes and as much bourbon sauce as you like (sauce is amazing over fish as well!)


Garlic Roasted Potatoes
What You Will Need

small red potatoes (about 3-4 per person depending on the size)
5 cloves of garlic (sliced thinly)
olive oil
1/2 stick of butter (sliced thinly)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 375*

Using a wooden spoon as a stopping point, slice the potatoes making sure not to cut all the way through.  You will want the potatoes to fan out but not fall apart.  In between each slice, slip a slice of garlic in.

Arrange in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, top each potato with a slice of butter and salt and pepper them to taste

Cook for around 45 minutes or until tender.