posted by SueFreeman 02-21-101 8:29 AM
Wild Mushroom Cream with Beef Tenderloin and Crispy Onions
by Joy Dunwoodie
Olive Oil
1 1/2 lbs. assorted mushrooms, crimini, domestic, shitake
1 medium onion finely diced
2 T minced garlic
4 T butter
4 T flour
1 (16 oz) can beef stock
1 Pint Heavy Cream
1 (16 oz) can Chicken Stock
1/3 cup brandy
12 oz beef tenderloin
2 medium onions sliced thinly in circles
flour for dredging
In a sauce pan, cover bottom of pan with olive oil and add mushrooms. Saute mushrooms for about 5 minutes and then add onions and garlic. Cook til onions are tender. (Mushrooms really soak up oil and water so you might have to add a little more oil). Add butter and flour and make a roux. When roux is a blonde color deglaze with beef stock.
Bring cream to a simmer. If cream is going to separate in soup it will separate as you heat it up. This is an expensive soup so you want it to work right. Cold cream has a tendency to separate in hot liquid so heat it up to a simmer. Add to mushroom mixture. Bring back to simmer and add chicken stock gradually until you reach desired consistency. Add brandy and let it simmer gently, for 10 minutes.
For the Tenderloin. Use the tip or the two tails of tenderloin. If you have a center cut then cut it lengthwise and marinate them in some olive oil and salt and pepper for about 20 minutes. In a very hot pan (make sure it is smoking), sear all sides of beef then finish off in oven to desired temperature and degree of doneness.
Take out of oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. You don't want anything bigger than your spoon in your soup so cut beef into bite size pieces.
For crispy onions (these can be done ahead of time and saved): Slice onions in thin slices and separate rings. Dredge in flour until completely covered. Fry in hot oil until crispy, and drain.
To serve, put soup in bowls and top with a nice bunch of crispy fried onions in the middle of the soup.