Private Chef Jeff Nappe, based out of New Jersey, curates beautiful elegant dishes. Using techniques and ingredients used in different cultures such as Indian, Norwegian and Japanese. Understanding textural, visual and taste appeal, you can count on New Jersey Resident & Chef, Jeff, to create your new favorite dish.
Here is a a beautifully cooked filet mignon smothered in the worlds best jus and a matsutake mushroom bechamel. Topped with fresh herbs, this already classy meal can be brought to euphoria by shaving black truffles as a finishing touch. Not to mention these two sauces bring out the flavor of the beautifully browned steak that much more.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Filet Mignon
Filet mignon, 4
Unsalted butter, 1/2 stick
Grapeseed oil, 2 tbsp
Salt, to taste
signature rub
Garlic powder, 1 tbsp
Onion powder, 1 tbsp
Toasted coriander powder, 2 tsp
White pepper, 1/2 tsp
Espelette, 1 tsp
Chestnut boredelaise
Reduced jus, 1 c, recipe on page 60-62
Roasted chestnuts, 1/2 c
Low sodium soy sauce, 3 tbsp
Heavy cream, 1 tbsp
Low sodium chicken stock, 1 c
Xanathan gum, 1/8 tsp
Matsutake Bechamel
Butter, 1/2 stick
AP flour, 1 tbsp
Whole milk, 1/2 c
Heavy cream, 1/2 c
Pecorino romano, 1/2 c grated
Grated gruyere, 1/2 c
Matsutake stock, 1/2 c
Salt, 1 tsp
Chopped parsley, 1/2 c
Shaved black truffle, as desired
Procedure:
- For the chestnut bordelaise, put 1 c reduced jus and 1/2 c roasted chestnuts into vitamix, puree until smooth. Pour into saucepan. The color will lighten to a brownish orange after pureeing but as it reduces it will go back to a deep rich brown.
- Add 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp heavy cream, 1 c low sodium chicken stock, and 1/8 tsp xanathan gum. gently whisk and allow to reduce on low for at least 30 minutes+. If the sauce becomes too thick, simply add low sodium chicken stock by the tbsp in order to regain the perfect consistency. If you need to tone down the salt, add a drop of heavy cream by the tsp.
- For the matsutake bechamel, put 1/2 stick unsalted butter into saucepan until browned on medium high heat, add 1 tsp AP flour and mix until bubbling, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 c whole milk and 1/2 c heavy cream. Stir. Lower flame to medium.
- Once heated, but not boiling, Add 1/2 c grated pecorino romano and 1/2 c grated gruyere to bechamel. Once melted, add Matsutake mushroom stock and allow at least to 15 minutes to reduce. Add 1 tsp salt. Stir.
- For the steaks, put 1/2 stick of butter and 2 tbsp grapeseed oil into a cast iron pan with medium high /high low flame. Allow butter to brown.
- Rub steaks with grapeseed oil and 1 tsp salt per steak massaged in. Let sit for a minute.
- For signature rub add 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 2 tsp roasted coriander powder, 1/2 tsp white pepper, and 1 tsp espelette to a small bowl and mix. Press the top of each steak into the rub firmly covering the whole top. Put the steaks into the cast iron pan with the side that is spice rubbed landing face down in the brown butter. 3 minutes with a high flame, then flip and cook additional 3 minutes on a medium flame. After the 6 minutes is up remove from pan and allow to rest up to 10 minutes. Slice into pieces or serve whole. (note-thicker cuts could require 4-5 minutes per side)
- For plating, chop parsley and set aside. Put steak in the center of the plate, smother in matsutake bechamel, top it off with chestnut bordelaise, then shave fresh black truffles over the steak and sauces. Finish with chopped parsley dropped as a handful falling where it may.
*Note: “Matsutake mushrooms, which have a distinct woody-cinnamon flavor are typically special order only. In order to make the stock I order them in a dried form. If you add water in an air tight container overnight you will wake up with gorgeous matsutake stock which starts you with a solid flavor on it’s own already. Also, I typically use the actual mushrooms themselves in my tomato sauce on page 69.”
This recipe is just one of the many that can be found in Chef Jeff Nappe’s book, Tastings.
Recipe From:
Be on the look out for his upcoming book this spring!
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