Fillet of Beef, Walnut Butter and Beetroot and scrumptious menus for Christmas
There are many ways to celebrate the holidays and a lavish feast is my way of creating a festive culinary frame when the Christmas bells start ringing. To fill the bowls and platters with roast and gravy, stuffed duck or goose, dumplings and various cabbage dishes may take some time, but these hours spent in the kitchen are so precious to me, that I gladly dedicate a few days to the preparation of some of the most unforgettable meals of the year.
But I'm honest, this year is different, this year used up my batteries. As much as I enjoy every second of shopping for the ingredients for any meal, cooking, baking, and waiting for my creations to be done, I know when I have to slow down. Even if it's Christmas. A meal isn't special just because of the money that's spent on it, or the time put into its preparation. A meal is special when it sparks a firework in the mouth; when we enjoy smelling it, looking at it, and tasting it so much, that we almost feel like children again. Memories and traditions turn a meal into something greater that sets it apart from our everyday foods. The cookies baked on December's snowy weekends using trusted family recipes are different to the sweets that we stir up during the rest of the year. The beloved duck served on Christmas Eve tastes better when the room is lit up with countless candles and the smell of fir is heavily hanging in the air. I love my traditions and I hold them dearly, but Christmas 2016 calls for a break: lots of time for myself and my loved ones, no plans, no duties, just the pleasure of a little laziness at the end of the year. Cooking is fun and it should always reflect the mood that we're in, and now, I'm going to be as slow as a sloth.
Last week, I kind of unfurled my Christmas menu from the end, starting with the dessert as I shared my Crème Brûlée Tangerine Cheesecake in a Jar. It's a dish that can easily be prepared a day or two in advance, meaning more time on the sofa, unwrapping presents, eating cookies, and listening to Christmas carols. My main dish doesn't need elaborate preparations either, it's a rather minimal composition of honest, pure flavours. The most tender fillet of beef topped with a slice of walnut mustard butter, served along with sweet and earthy beetroot cubes. The red root is cooked al dente, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with Mr. Cini's flaky sea salt from Gozo. Sometimes, simplicity tastes best.
To finish my Christmas menu, I should share a starter with you next week, but I will allow myself to take a few days off and stay offline. As I don't want to leave you and your guests hungry, I have a few recipe suggestions for you from the blog and from my cookbook, not just for starters.
I wish you a peaceful Christmas! Enjoy this precious time with the ones you love!
Meike xx
Here's some more inspiration for your Christmas menu:
Starter
Parsnip and Sweet Potato Soup with Caramelized Plums and Whipped Gorgonzola Mascarpone (Eat In My Kitchen book, page 75)
Chickpea Potato Soup with Rucola Pesto, Lemon and Fried Chickpeas
Artichoke Ricotta and Orange Ravioli (this dish is time consuming, but can be prepared in advance and then frozen)
Main dish
Slow Roasted Duck with Ginger, Honey and Orange (Eat In My Kitchen book, page 171)
Beef Shank and Caponata Stew (Eat In My Kitchen book, page 169)
Salt Baked Salmon Fillet with Dill, Black Pepper and Juniper
Duck Confit with Roast Potatoes, Chestnuts, Plums and Star Anise
Vegetarian main dish
Pumpkin Gnocchi with Roquefort Sauce (Eat In My Kitchen book, page 100)
Potato and Apple Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Walnut Butter and Gruyère
Farfalle Pasta with Figs, Mozzarella di Bufala and Honey Butter
Dessert
Bittersweet Chocolate-Olive Oil Bundt Cake with Candied Orange Peel (Eat In My Kitchen book, page 221)
Marina’s Lemon Marmalade Ice Cream with Caramelized Pistachios
Fillet of Beef, Walnut Butter and Beetroot
Serves 4
fillets of beef, trimmed, 4 (each about 140g / 5 ounces and 4-5cm /1 1/2-2" thick)
olive oil
unsalted butter 2 tablespoons
flaky sea salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
For the walnut butter
shelled walnuts 50g / 2 ounces
butter, at room temperature, 50g / 2 ounces
Dijon mustard, about 1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
For the beet
large beets with skin 2
bayleaves 2
flaky sea salt
olive oil
shelled walnuts, broken into pieces, a large handful
Take the meat out of the fridge, rinse and pat it dry, and let it come to room temperature.F
or the walnut butter, finely grind the walnuts in a blender or food processor, add the butter, mustard, and a little salt, and pulse until combined. Adjust the seasoning. Scrape the butter onto a piece of cling film, roll into a thick sausage shape, and keep in the fridge (or in the freezer for just a few minutes until hard).
For the beet, bring a large pot with salted water to the boil and add the bay leaves and beetroot. Close with a lid and let it simmer for about 50 minutes or until the roots are al dente or tender, depending on your preference. Rinse with cold water, peel, and cut into cubes.
In a large, heavy pan, heat a generous splash of olive oil over high heat and sear the fillets for 1 minute on each side. Take the pan off the heat, lower the heat to medium, and add the butter to the pan. Put the pan back on the heat and cook the fillets for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side (for 'medium rare'), spoon some of the butter over the meat a couple times. Season the fillets with flaky sea salt and crushed pepper, wrap in aluminium foil, and let them rest for 2 minutes. Set the pan with the juices aside.
Divide the beetroot cubes between the plates, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with walnuts and flaky sea salt. Cut the walnut butter into thick slices. Transfer 1 fillet of beef to each plate and lay a slice of walnut butter on top. Drizzle with the juices from the pan used to cook the meat, serve immediately.
Merry Christmas!
