My Perfect Steak Supper

June is a special month any way you look at it. We’ve got Father’s Day, and Lord knows I love my pops. There are all those June Weddings. Under normal circumstances, the school year would be ending and the summer fun beginning. And then there’s my birthday, which naturally makes June special to me.

As it happens, June 4th is National Cognac Day. While this isn’t really a post about Cognac, it got me to dreaming of the perfect Steak Supper for an intimate birthday celebration. I’ve heard tell that people do drink Cognac. I’ve heard tell people drink bourbon, too. To me, these are all ingredients to enhance the flavors of foods. If I’m going to drink something straight up; chances are you’ll see me with a shot of Limoncello in a sugar-rimmed glass or a cordial of Sambuca with a coffee bean in the bottom. While I might enjoy that tipsy feeling same as the next guy, for the most part I don’t want to taste the elixir that gets you there. So if I’m going to do anything with Cognac on National Cognac Day; it would be to create a sauce for my steaks using Cognac.

The beauty of this menu is that these are all easy to prepare a home yet dining out wow recipes. Everything is so simple, timing is the only thing that you really need to watch. I would suggest the dessert be made in the morning; then finished just before serving. The steaks; including rest-time are about 45 minutes from the time you take them out of the refrigerator until plated. The potatoes from peel to mash are about 40, and the asparagus from trim to serve about 20. So plan accordingly, and it’s a snap. Anywhere along the way, if you find you’ve gotten ahead of yourself; slow down.

The Perfect Steak Supper
Filet Mignon with Peppercorn Cognac Sauce
Pan-Seared Asparagus
White Truffle Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse

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Filet Mignon with Peppercorn Cognac Sauce
4 (3/4-inch thick) Filet Mignon Steaks
Kosher Salt to taste
2 tablespoons Ketchup
3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
4 drops Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons Green Peppercorns
3 tablespoons Butter
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/3 cup Cognac
1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Remove fillets from the refrigerator. While it should not be necessary, trim any excess fat from the steaks. Season with a little salt, let sit on the counter for 30 minutes before searing.

In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the green peppercorns; set aside until ready to use.

In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; melt butter with the oil. Swirl skillet to coat. Add filets and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes per side.

Remove filets and set aside.

Add Cognac to deglaze skillet, scraping up any little browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add ketchup-mustard mixture and cream, mix well. Return filets to skillet. Season with additional salt if desired and cook to desired doneness.

To serve; plate filets and spoon over sauce.

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Pan Seared Asparagus
1 lb Green Asparagus
1 tablespoon Basil Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 Lemon, juices freshly squeezed
Kosher Salt to taste
Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Rinse the asparagus and trim off the ends, leaving spears about 8 inches long.

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and butter to sizzling. Turn down the heat to medium and add the asparagus.

Using a broad spatula, turn the spears over from time to time until they are browned more or less evenly, about 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the asparagus. The spears will remain mainly green, with patches of crispy brown. Check for doneness by tasting a spear. It should be tender but slightly al dente.

Sprinkle the asparagus with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and transfer to a serving platter or individual plates.

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White Truffle Garlic Mashed Potatoes
6 Russet Potatoes
3 Garlic Cloves
1/4 cup Half and Half or as needed
Butter as needed
Kosher Salt to taste
White Pepper to taste
White Truffle Oil to taste

Peel the potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes and place in a pot. Cover with 1-inch of water. Season the water with just a pinch of salt.

Peel garlic cloves, slice in half lengthwise. Place cloves on top of the potatoes.

Bring to a boil, then cook over medium-high heat until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to the pot and keep over low heat.

Stir in the half and half, and the butter then mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper then drizzle with a little white truffle oil. Just before serving, sprinkle with a little white pepper for a hint of color.

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Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse
1/2 cup Roasted chopped Hazelnuts
2 teaspoons Instant Espresso
2 tablespoons Hot Water
1/2 cup Hazelnut Spread
1 dash Kahlua or to taste
1-1/2 cups Heavy Cream
6 Chocolate-Hazelnut Pirouette Cookies, for garnish
Shaved Semisweet Chocolate as desired

Place the bowl and whisk of an electric mixer into the freezer to chill.

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Scatter Hazelnuts in a small rimmed baking sheet. Roast nuts in the oven for about 10 minutes. Let cool; then chop and set aside.

Dissolve instant espresso in hot water in a medium-sized bowl. Add the Hazelnut Spread and Kahlua, whip vigorously until smooth.

In the chilled bowl of a mixer, whip the heavy cream with whisk attachment until it forms stiff peaks. Using a soft spatula, gently fold the Hazelnut mixture into the whipped cream until the color is uniform.

Divide mousse into 6 serving glasses such as martini glasses or champagne coupes. Chill until ready to garnish and serve.

Just before serving, place glasses on small plates such as salad plates or bread plates for easy serving. Sprinkle mousse with roasted chopped hazelnuts and shaved chocolate. Insert cookie into the mousse and serve with a demi-spoon.