Mussell Bisque, Roast Beef, Sauteed Mushrooms and Spinach

The perfect antidote to to many meals starting with chips and salsa.  Not a rich liver pate, the name translates to Country Pate.  It is basically ground pork with some additional pork or bacon fat added for richness. (Yes, I can hear someone saying that it's a cousin to Spam, but there is no comparison.)

Mussel and Fennel Bisque

There it was on page 59 of that issue of bon appetit.  I could already feel that silky-smoothness on my tongue.  I thought for a minute about using clams or crab, but it had been 2 years since I made anything with mussels, so it was settled.  The local high-end grocer (AJs Fine Foods) always has fresh Prince Edward Island Mussels.  Two pounds set me back fourteen bucks. Pricy, but thye've already been scrubbed and debearded.

2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded.

3 cups white wine

2 8 oz bottles of clam juice

3 tablespoons butter

2 1/2 cups diced fennel bulb

1/4 cup diced carrot

2 shallots, chopped

1/4 cup long grain rice

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon brandy

Discard any mussels that are open.  Put them in a large pot along with the wine.  Bring to a boil. Boil until the mussels open, 3-5 minutes. DIscard any mussels that do not open.

Remove the mussels from the pot. Pour the cooking liquid through a fine strainer into a large measuring cup.  Add enough clam juice to make 5 cups liquid.  If you need to add more than the available clam juice then add wine, vegetable stock, or water.    Set aside.

Remove the mussels from the shells. Discard the shells.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the fennel. and carrot.  Saute until the fennel is slightly softened.  Add the shallots and saute until soft.  Add the clam juice mixture, rice, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer until the rice is tender. Discard the bay leaf.

Working in batches, puree in a blender. (I have gotten a lot more use out of this Vita MIx Professional Series 5000 than I thought I would.) Add 3/4 of the mussels to one batch.

Return the pureed liquid to the saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the cream, brandy, and remaining mussels..  Bring to a simmer, and serve. (Serves 4)

For a minute there I was visualizing duck.  AJs Fine Foods has these beautiful duck breasts in the frozen food case.  Duck breast, grilled….. unfortunately my Sweet Lady Wife does care for duck.  Back to Plan A.

The bon appetit recipe called for 'Eye of Round Beef Roast' but Safeway has these Ranchers Reserve Petite Tender Beef FIlets and they never fail to please.  Sold. I love these sear-roasting recipes, they are so easy.

1-1/2 to 2 lb Beef tenderloin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon high-heat oil – tea oil or grapeseed oil.  Alternatively use a 50-50 mixture of butter and olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet.  Add the beef.  Cook, turning occasionally until browned on all sides them put the skillet into the oven.  Stick an oven-proof meat thermometer into the thickest part of the beef..  Roast until the beef has reached the temperature associated with your desired level of doneness. (140-145 for medium).

Remove the skillet from the oven, move the beef to a plate and tent with foil.  Time to make the sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon Potato starch or flour

2 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons capers

Place the skillet with the juices over medium-high heat.  Add the butter.  Add the potato starch or flour (Since discovering potato starch, it has become my thickener of choice.) Whisk until combined.  Add the beef broth.  Boil until sauce is reduced to your desired thickness. whisk in the mustard and capers. 

Cut the beef crosswise on the diagonal, slicing it about 1/2 inch thick..  Put 3-4 slices on the plate, overlapping them slightly.  Pour the sauce over them.

Cooking two courses simultaneously is about my limit.  More than that and things can get out of hand really quickly.  So I knew the vegetable side had to be simple. On the next page of that same issue of bon appetit was a recipe for spinach and mushrooms with truffle oil.  I think the truffle oil would have been great in the bisque, but not on the spinach.  Besides, I didn't have any.  Therefore the recipe devolved into simple sauteed spinach and mushrooms

8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

1 shallot, chopped

1 package fresh baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons butter

Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms, saute until lightly browned.  Add the shallot.  Saute until the shallot is soft.  Add the spinach a handful at a time as it wilts.  When all the spinach is heated through, serve.

Serves 2-3

Now I gotta go clean the kitchen.  Anybody know the number to call FEMA?