Julia Child's Tournedos Sautes Chasseur

Tournedos Sautes Chasseur
From Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
6 crustless rounds of white bread 2½” in diameter 3/16” thick
3-4 tbsp butter (Julia suggests clarified, but I didn’t bother)
½ lb fresh mushrooms, whole if very small otherwise quartered (I used cremini, my favorite)
2-3 tbsp more butter
1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)
2 tbsp shallots, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
4 filet steaks 1” thick 2½” in diameter, wrapped in a strip of fat (I didn't bother with the fat either)
2 tbsp more butter
1 tbsp oil
Salt & pepper to taste
½ cup beef stock or canned bouillon (I used 1 tbsp Maggi which is like Bovril in water)
1 tbsp tomato paste
¼ cup Madeira mixed with ½ tbsp cornstarch (I used sherry instead of Madeira)
2 tbsp minced parsley, tarragon & chervil or simply use parsley (my choice)

Directions:
1. Make the bread rounds:
Sauté bread rounds in hot butter and brown lightly on both sides. Reheat them in a 350°F/175°C for a minute just before serving.

2. Sauté mushrooms in hot butter and oil for 5 minutes to brown them. Stir in shallots and cook slowly for a minute or 2 more. Season and set aside.

3. Cook the steaks:
Pat them dry. Place butter and oil in a skillet (I just used the same ones for the mushrooms and kept them covered in a bowl while I sautéed the steaks) over medium-high heat. Sear the steaks for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how rare/well done you like them.

4. Assemble: Place the steaks on the canapés (remove any string (plus fat if there is any) and keep warm while you prepare the sauce which only takes a couple of minutes. I just tented the steaks with foil.

5. Make the sauce:
Pour fat out of the skillet, stir in the stock or bouillon and tomato paste. Boil rapidly, scraping up coagulated cooking juices until liquid is reduced to 2-3 tbsp.

Pour in the starch wine mixture and boil rapidly for a minute to evaporate the alcohol and to thicken the sauce slightly. Add the sautéed mushrooms and summer a minute more to blend the flavors. Taste for seasoning.

6. Serve:
Spread the mushrooms and sauce over the steaks and sprinkle with herbs. I served it with Roasted Smashed Potatoes and some stir fried baby arugula, sauteed in a little olive oil and some garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The slightly bitter taste of the arugula really balanced the very rich mushroom sauce.