by Katherine Alford
from Caviar, Truffles, and Foie Gras
(Chronicle, 2001)
Serves 4
This winning combination is known in the classic French repertoire as tournedos Rossini. The story is that the composer Rossini, a devoted fan of truffles, asked a chef to prepare this dish. The chef balked, suggesting that it was ill-conceived. The maestro said that if the chef was offended, the maestro himself could prepare the dish quickly while the chef’s back was turned. The word tournedos thus supposedly comes from the French phrase tourner le dos, to turn one’s back. Prepare this when pouring a prodigious red wine, and you surely won’t be vexed.—Katherine Alford
convert Ingredients
For the sauce
2/3 cup Madeira
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 thyme sprig
1/2 bay leaf
2 cups veal or beef stock
1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons water (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 to 1 ounce fresh or preserved black winter truffle
For the medallions
Four 4-ounce filet of beef (tenderloin) medallions, about 1 1/2 inches thick, at room temperature
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Four 1-ounce grade-A or -B duck foie gras medallions
Want it? Click it.
Directions
Make the sauce
1. In a saucepan, combine the Madeira, shallot, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the wine is reduced to a light syrup coating the shallots. (The wine may flame briefly.)
2. Pour the stock into the wine reduction and simmer until reduced by half. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface. If the sauce is not thick enough to nap the meat, whisk the arrowroot mixture into the sauce and bring to a full boil to thicken. Lower heat and whisk in the butter. Season with the 3/4 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and vinegar. Slice the truffle paper-thin with a truffle slicer, mandoline, or very sharp knife and add to the sauce. Set aside and keep warm in a double boiler over hot water for up to 1 hour. (You may need to adjust the consistency with a bit of water if the sauce thickens.)
Make the medallions
1. Meanwhile, pat the beef medallions dry with paper towels and season one side of the meat with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy skillet over low heat. Add the oil to the pan, increase the heat to high, and place the meat, seasoned-side down, in the pan. Saute until the steaks are a rich burnished brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Season the remaining side with salt and pepper to taste, turn, reduce the heat slightly, and brown the other side, 3 to 4 minutes. Brown the sides of the medallions by standing them on their sides. Transfer the meat to a plate while you sear the foie gras.
2. Wipe out the skillet and heat it over high heat. Season the foie gras medallions with salt and pepper to taste. Add the medallions to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until a deep brown on the bottom. Drain off any excess fat. Turn the foie gras with a metal spatula and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the foie gras softens but still has some resilience. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
3. To serve, remove any strings from the medallions and place the medallions on warmed plates or a platter. Top with the foie gras and nap with the sauce, making sure that a couple of slices of truffles rest on each serving of foie gras. Serve immediately.
Recipe © 2001 Katherine Alford. All rights reserved.
LC
on 
LC to your 
[Dan Kraan] Beef with foie gras and truffles is an exquisite, rich and decadent dish! The suppleness and flavor of the foie gras is enhanced by the musky, truffle-scented sauce. I’d definitely take the time to reduce the sauce to the desired consistency, rather than try to thicken it. You may not have quite as much, but you really only need about 2 tablespoons of truffled richness per serving, anyway. Be careful when sautéing the foie gras to avoid ending up with a pan of hot fat. I found that 30 to 40 seconds on each side in the hot pan was enough. NOTES:
Foie gras: Remove it from the packaging, salt and pepper it, and then return it to the fridge. It will be easier to sauté if it’s a bit chilled.
Sauce: Reduce it by half. Add your ingredients to the pot and use a metal ruler to measure the depth and record the number. When your ingredients have simmered to half that number, you’re ready to move on. I prefer not to thicken the sauce and instead keep reducing it to get the desired effect. It doesn’t take that much longer, and flavorwise, you’re much better off.