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Recipe Detail Page
Poached Beef Fillets with Vegetables in the French Manner
Winter 2012
If you have never tried poaching beef fillets, this is a great opportunity to test (and taste!) it out. It’s a one-dish meal, low in fat and high in flavour, with the resulting stock making a superb sauce. The choice of vegetables is strictly personal; just remember to put in the harder ones first. You should use an unsalted stock (preferably beef—or chicken in a pinch) or else it will be very salty once reduced down to a demi-glace.
Serves 4
4 beef fillets, each 8 oz (250 g)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup (125 mL) red wine
5 cups (1.25 L) homemade beef stock
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped chives
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped tarragon2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped chervil
2 carrots, cut into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes, about 1¼ cups (310 mL)
8 cloves garlic, peeled
4 shallots, peeled and halved
1 white turnip, cut into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes, about 1¼ cups (310 mL)
6 Brussels sprouts, cut in half
Salt to taste
DEMI-GLACE
½ cup (125 mL) red wine
2 cups (500 mL) poaching stock
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
1 Trim beef fillets and season with pepper. Set aside.
2 Combine red wine, stock, chives, tarragon and chervil in a wide pot (large enough to hold beef fillets) over high heat and bring to a boil. Add carrots and garlic, turn heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes or until just beginning to soften. Add shallots, turnips and Brussels sprouts and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add beef fillets and poach for 7 minutes per inch (2.5 cm) for rare, 10 minutes per inch (2.5 cm) for medium-rare and 12 minutes per inch (2.5 cm) for medium.
3 Remove fillets from stock, season with salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove vegetables from stock and keep warm, reserving stock separately.
4 To make demi-glace, heat wine in a skillet over high heat and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes or until 2 tbsp (30 mL) remains. Add 2 cups (500 mL) poaching stock and reduce for 8 to10 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low, whisk in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5 Place beef fillets on a plate and surround with vegetables. Drizzle demi-glace over meat and around plate.
Serves 4
