All right readers! Hide your eyes and plug up your ears if you are on a diet. This post is all about the fabulous birthday dinner I prepared for my Dad last week. Listen, if you make it to 85 years I think you should be able to choose whatever you want to eat to celebrate! This is what Dad wanted and this is what he got! It’s authentically French….right down to the butter, more butter and….yes, a bit more butter. I abstained from eating the beef, just had a tiny taste and piled my plate with veggies and a small helping of the Chateau Potatoes.
Bleu Brie with Apples and Water Crackers
Chateaubriand
Chateau Potatoes
Steamed Vegetables
Hollandaise Sauce
Creme Brulee with Fresh Raspberries
Chateau LaFitte
Bleu Brie with Apples and Water Crackers
I found a lovely wedge of cheese at my local market, a soft brie, shot through with a rich bleu….served with apple slices and simple water crackers….the family gathered round to sample as I cooked.
Chateaubriand
The name sounds daunting, but this is a very simple dish to make. The key is getting the BEST quality of beef you can find. I had my butcher cut a 3 pound, center cut piece from the tenderloin. (Preheat your oven to 400 degrees) Sprinkle the meat with a mixture of grey salt and good, cracked black pepper. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan on top of the stove. Brown all surfaces of the beef and drain off the fat. Place the meat, in the drained pan, into the preheated oven. Roast for 20 minutes for medium rare….the correct temperature for a perfect Chateaubriand. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let stand 15 minutes before slicing into 1/2 inch thick slices.
Chateau Potatoes
2 pounds of yellow, fingerling potatoes, sliced into small ovals (cut on the diagonal)
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
3/4 teaspoons grey salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
These will bake with the beef in a 400 degree oven. Melt the butter in an oven proof skillet (I use my cast iron skillet for these) over medium-high heat. Saute the sliced potatoes in the butter for five minutes. Place the skillet into the over, alongside the tenderloin and bake for 20 minutes. You’ll want to turn the potatoes after 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper.
Steamed Vegetables
1/2 pound haricort vert (French string beans)
1 bunch of asparagus, cleaned and snapped to four inches
1 bunch brocollini, cleaned and trimmed to four inches
6 organic carrots, cleaned, peeled and julienned
Steam the veggies in vegetable broth over low heat for about 6-8 minutes. You want them to be a bit crisp, never mushy and wilted.
Hollandaise Sauce
I suppose you might say I used a short cut for this. I have made Hollandaise the old fashioned way for years but this is quicker and it is foolproof! Even Ina Garten features a blender recipe for hollandaise so I’m in good company!
In a blender place:
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon FRESH lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Place the top on the blender and pulse to combine for a minute or so. Remove the little cap and pour 10 tablespoons of melted butter into the egg mixture in a steady stream with the motor running. This will form a thick sauce that can be served to the side with the vegetables, beef and potatoes. I added a tablespoon of tarragon to create Bernaise sauce….so yummy with the vegetables!
Creme Brulee with Fresh Raspberries
I have featured this recipe before, but it’s one of Dad’s favorites so here it is again!
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup half and half (light cream)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 300F. Arrange 6 custard cups in a large pan with sides at least 1 1/2 inches deep.
Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl until they turn frothy and bright yellow. Slowly whisk 1/3 cup sugar, the creams, and vanilla extract into the beaten eggs. Beat the mixture for 90 seconds.
Pour the eggs and cream through a medium-mesh sieve into a large (4 cup) liquid measuring cup. Divide the mixture between 6 custard cups and fill the large pan with hot water half-way up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake the custard in the hot-water bath for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until the custard is set, but still moves a bit in the center when jiggled. Cool the custard in the water bath for 20 minutes, and then refrigerate them until they are chilled.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar over top of the custards and caramelize the sugar with a small, handheld kitchen torch. Serve immediately.
This classic crème brulee recipe makes 6 servings. We always have two left over so that Mr. T and I can have one the next day.
*Thanks to About.com: French Food for this yummy recipe.
There you have it! After this feast you may want to abstain from fat and cholesterol for a few days! But it was simply delicious! Enjoy!
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3 Responses
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Margaret Singer Says:
Hi Melissa, am printing out those mouth-watering recipes that you made for your Dad’s birthday! But I have noticed that this generation of cooks who call themselves Julia’s children make a lot of shortcuts nowadays. I wonder if Julia isn’t rolling in her grave. I guess the real test would be to taste a Hollandaise sauce made the old way and compare it with a blender-made one to see if one could tell a difference.
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Melissa Says:
Julia probably is rolling in her grave! I usually don’t believe in shortcuts and would normally have made the sauce from scratch just I would a fine aioli, it was a shortcut kind of day! I’ll make hollandaise from scratch soon an rue the day I got hooked on the “easy way”! Thanks Margaret!
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