‘Blast From the Past Recipe’

Peppered Fillet of Beef with Port Sauce, Dauphinoise Potatoes and Green Beans with Shallots & Sherry Vinegar (Serves 4)

This recipe is great for entertaining over the festive period. I first shared it back in December ’20 but I’ve been cooking it for years. I particularly like that the sauce can be made in advance, so there’s no last minute rush. I like to serve it with Dauphinoise Potatoes, I rather like the cheese version for this dish (recipe below), but you could also serve it with my simpler recipe without cheese (recipe here). In addition, a great accompaniment is Green Beans with Shallots & Sherry Vinegar (below) or simply Sautéed Spinach (recipe here).

2 x fillets of beef, 450g each – nice even pieces

2 teaspoons black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Olive oil

400ml port

2 sprigs of thyme

2 cloves of garlic, halved

300ml beef stock

2 teaspoons cornflour made into a paste with 2 tablespoons of the port

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Season the beef with salt and evenly coat it with the crushed peppercorns.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and brown the beef all over, then transfer to a roasting tray.
3. Place the beef in a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for about 20 minutes for medium rare (a meat thermometer will read 55’c). Move to a plate to rest.
4. Meanwhile put the port, thyme and garlic in a small saucepan and boil to reduce by half, then whisk in the beef stock and the cornflour paste. Cook, whisking for about 1 minute until the sauce has thickened.
5. Check the sauce for seasoning, adding any juices from the resting beef.
6. Slice the beef into thick slices and serve with the sauce, Dauphinoise Potatoes and Green Beans with Shallots & Sherry Vinegar (recipes below).

Staple Side Dish – Dauphinoise Potatoes with Gruyére Cheese (Serves 4-6)

This is the second recipe that I have posted for Dauphinoise Potatoes on Menu Mistress. This recipe is the richer of the two and is more unctuous. I particularly like it with Peppered Fillet of Beef (above), but if you prefer a simpler Dauphinoise recipe, without cheese, you can find it here.

I found this recipe for Dauphinoise Potatoes with Gruyére in the cookbook, ‘At Home in the Provence’ by Patricia Wells, who in turn took it from renowned French chef, Joël Roubuchon – so it comes well endorsed!

500ml whole milk

250ml double cream

125g grated Gruyere cheese

1 kg firm fleshed potatoes (such as Charlotte), peeled and sliced very thinly

1 plump clove garlic, peeled and halved

45g unsalted butter, diced

Freshly grated nutmeg

Sea salt and black pepper

1. In a large saucepan bring the milk to boiling point. Add the cream and three-quarters of the cheese. Stir to blend and melt the cheese. Season which salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg. Add the potatoes and mix well with a wooden spoon. Cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
2. Rub a baking dish with the garlic. Transfer the potatoes and their liquid to the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and the butter.
3. Place in a preheated oven, 190’c fan, for about 1¼ hours.
4. Serve immediately.

Green Beans with Shallots & Sherry Vinegar (Serves 4)

This turns the humble bean into something really special, and it only takes a few minutes! The recipe is from Rachel Allen’s cookbook, ‘Recipes From My Mother’.

300g French green beans

25g butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

50g shallots, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1½ teaspoons sherry vinegar

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Place the beans in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes until just tender (al dente). Drain and keep to one side.
2. Add the butter and oil to the empty saucepan, when the butter starts to foam add the shallots with the vinegar and cook for a minute or so over a medium heat.
3. Return the beans to the pan and toss in the shallot butter. Season to taste and serve.