Filet Mignon Steak Oscar with Duchess Potatoes Surf and Turf

This recipe is a twist on Veal Oscar, using a tender filet Mignon. I’ve made a quick Béarnaise Sauce to serve with the steak and crab legs. As a side dish, I made Duchess Potatoes. What a special way to say “I love you” for a memorable dinner at home.

Valentine’s Day is just a week away, and it holds a special place in my heart, because my husband chose that day to propose to me. We were married, almost one year later, on New Year’s Day. For my husband, he’s thankful that he has two anniversary dates that are easy to remember!

As much as I enjoy dining at a fine restaurant, I prefer to avoid the busiest nights of the year– such as Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve.  Menu prices tend to skyrocket, and I don’t want to feel rushed. In the last few years, I’ve begun a new tradition of preparing a fancy schmancy dinner at home.  Just the two of us. Soft music, a fire, a bottle of Prosecco or wine. Candles.  No reservations needed, and no noise.

As an added bonus, my husband always does the cleanup, and he never complains.  For so many reasons, I feel like the luckiest wife.  That is why it is my joy to make a special dinner for the two of us.

HUNGER ALERT: Yes, this is going to seem like a pretty long post.  I need to explain how to make all of the components, so here we go!

It’s been many, many years, since I first had “Veal Oscar“. It was the “Prince of Wales”” at the Hotel del Coronado, in the 70’s.  My palate was still young and unrefined, but I remember the combination of the veal, crab, asparagus and Béarnaise sauce as being one of the most memorable dinners of my young life.  I always longed to have this dish again, though I never did return to that restaurant — and I think it has  recently closed.

My husband really appreciates a good cut of filet Mignon, as do I.  At home, it’s a very easy dinner to prepare. Last year, I served it with Broiled Lobster Tail.  I caught a Food Network episode of “The Pioneer Woman” , sometime in December, and watched her make “Steak Oscar”.  I thought it was clever that she used  shrimp, asparagus and Hollandaise Sauce with Steak– instead of veal.   I don’t buy veal, any longer, so I liked the idea of using filet Mignon.  Instead of shrimp, I decided to use crab. I prefer Alaskan King Crab, because it’s easier to eat and a lot meatier. Yum!

For a side dish, I made Yukon Gold Duchess Potatoes.  I think of these as “naked twice-baked potatoes”. To make them, I scaled down  my “Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes” recipe and piped the potato rounds, on a well buttered baking pan.  I stuck the pan into the freezer, while I prepared the main course. Why freeze them?

The answer is: so that I can brush a little melted butter on top, and not risk losing their shape. (Yes, you can use a zip-lock bag with a corner cut out, if you don’t have a pastry bag with a large tip.)

I use Ina Garten’s technique for preparing Filet Mignon, by searing the meat, then roasting it in the oven. Adding two pats of unsalted butter, before placing them inside the oven, adds an additional layer of richness (and calories).  I don’t want to risk overcooking this expensive cut of meat,  check the doneness with my ultra-accurate and trustworthy digital thermometer.

For the Béarnaise sauce, I adapted my Blender Hollandaise sauce, by reducing Tarragon Vinegar with finely chopped tarragon (which grows in our garden). I left out the traditional shallots, but I might add those next time.

While this might seem complicated– having to cook the steak, make a sauce, steam the crab, roast the asparagus and make Duchess Potatoes– it really wasn’t!  I had this dinner, on the table, in less than an hour!  Of course, you need to be able to multi-task to coordinate that everything is ready at the same time.

This is where Mis en Place comes in handy– plus, the Duchess potatoes can be made in advance. I even freeze them, and store them in a Zip-Loc bag.

I can easily pop them, still frozen,  into a 350F oven, for about 20 minutes, and have an instant side dish that tastes as good as the day I first made them!

In my opinion, Yukon Gold potatoes are my top choice for making mashed potatoes.

For the assembly: The Duchess potatoes baked right next to the skillet of Filet Mignon, so those went on a pre-heated plate, first. I piled on the roasted asparagus, then a King Crab leg, and then…

…the Béarnaise sauce.  It feels wonderful to present a dinner, like this, to my husband. He so appreciates it, and that makes me happy. Let the romance begin continue…

TASTING NOTES:  There are times when I have to pat myself on the back. This is one of them. The steak was cooked to perfection (medium-rare).  The asparagus was al dente, the King Crab was a rare treat for us– the sauce… so fast and simple, and it really brings the whole dish together.  I absolutely adore the mild anise flavor of tarragon.  The cost of making this dinner was at least half of what we would have paid at a restaurant.  Enjoying this, at home, and seeing my husband’s delight in eating it is priceless.

Any questions? Email me: foodiewife@gmail.com

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Duchess Potatoes

Duchess Potatoes are a fancy looking potato side dish that will make any meal look extra special. (Really, they are just mashed potatoes with a little egg added.) The potatoes are then piped onto a baking sheet, then brushed with melted butter and baked until golden brown. Think of them, if you will, as naked twice-baked potatoes. The beauty of these, is that I make a big batch of mashed potatoes, pipe out all the Duchess potatoes, and then freeze them for later use.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: potatoes

Servings: 6

Author: Debby Farmer

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes washed
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 ounces butter
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Instructions

• Cook the potatoes, in salted water, until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
• Drain.
• If you have a food mill (or potato ricer) mill the potatoes into the same pot that you cooked the potatoes. Otherwise, mash the potatoes until they are broken down into chunks.
• Add the cream cheese and butter.
• Add whole milk, in smaller increments and stir the milled/riced potatoes until almost creamy. Otherwise, mash them by hand (or go buy an "OXO" brand food mill!).
• Add the beaten egg and stir.
• Add between the heavy cream, and stir until the potatoes have a creamy and silky texture, but not watery.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Using a pastry bag, with a large tip (or a large zip-loc bag, with a small corner cut out) fill it with the potatoes.
• Pipe in circles to create a pretty mound of potatoes on a well-buttered baking pan.

Notes

Notes: My measurements for making the mashed potatoes are all "approximations". I tend to factor in about 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, per person. I usually don't measure my liquid ingredients, but just add them in smaller amounts until the potatoes seem just creamy enough. The last thing I want to do is dump all my liquid at once, and get watery potatoes. Not good! Bonus: I had about 8 extra Duchess potatoes, which I froze until solid. I then stored them in a Zip-Loc bag, in the freezer. For a quick side dish, place the frozen Duchess potatoes on a well-buttered baking pan and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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