Serves 6
Autumn is, by tradition, the season of rib-sticking stews, meaty pies, unctuous casseroles and other hearty, powerfully flavoured dishes – the trouble is, most of these take an age to cook. So, when you fancy something suitably seasonal but are tight on time, where should you turn?
To Michelin-starred chef, Marcelo Tully, of course, and his kitchen at Kinloch Lodge – the hotel, restaurant and cookery school on the Isle of Skye. Marcello shares the perfect autumn-dinner centrepiece – mushroom-laden fillet steaks in a lip-smacking brandy-spiked sauce, which can all be knocked together in less than half an hour. Very much a dish to fall for…
The recipe below is design to give you medium-rare meat – the internal temperature should come up around 42ºC if you’re using a digital probe.
Ingredients
For the beef:
4 x 120g best-quality beef fillet
20g oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs of fresh chervil or parsley
For the mushrooms:
200g wild oyster mushrooms
A sprig of thyme
A sprig of rosemary
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
100g sunflower oil
For the brandy sauce:
80ml red wine
90g redcurrant jelly
450ml double cream
½ tsp salt
1tsp brandy
500ml good-quality beef stock
Method
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Heat the oven to 180º C/160ºC fan/gas mark 4.
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Wipe the mushrooms to remove any soil particles and gently tear in half.
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Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme and rosemary.
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Cook on a low heat until tender (approx 5 minutes), stirring occasionally, then take off the heat and set aside in a warm place.
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Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan until it starts smoking.
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Season the beef and fry on each side for approximately 1 minute, or until golden brown.
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Transfer the beef to the oven and cook for 2 minutes on each side, then remove and rest in a warm place for at least 5 minutes.
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Place the red wine, beef stock and redcurrant jelly in a small heavy-based saucepan and boil rapidly boil until the liquid reduces by a third.
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Add the double cream, salt and brandy and stir, while bringing to the boil once more.
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To serve, place a fillet of beef in the centre of each plate. Pile a few wild mushrooms on top of the meat, drizzle over the sauce and add a sprig of chervil or parsley.