David Burke, the executive chef of New York's renowned Park Avenue Cafe, joins host Jeanne Benedict to prepare a delicious meal of steak au poivre, creamed spinach and whipped potatoes. Note: The complete recipes immediately follow these tips and cooking suggestions. - Burke explains that the first step in preparing this meal is to clean and boil the spinach, since this is the one ingredient that can be prepared in advance. Once the spinach is cleaned, Burke boils it in salted water (about one tablespoon of salt for every half-gallon of water) for about 30 seconds (figure A).
- After draining the leaves in a colander, Burke gently squeezes the spinach to remove all excess water. Once cooked, the amount of spinach having been reduced considerably, the leaves are placed in a small glass bowl (figure B). Burke explains that this "shrinkage" is due to the substantial reduction of the water content in the uncooked leaves.
Tip: When cleaning fresh spinach for a recipe, set aside the cut-off stems (figure C), making sure to clean them as thoroughly as the leaves. Spinach stems -- also known as spinach root -- can be saved and used in a variety of dishes. Burke recommends sauteeing them to serve over fish or mixing them into a shrimp stir-fry. - Next, Burke sautees chopped leeks with butter (figure D) to begin making leek cream. This cream will later be combined with the cooked spinach to produce the tasty creamed spinach dish. (Burke notes that this is the same first step used when preparing a leek soup.)
Note: Only the white portion of the leeks are used for the chopped pieces. Burke explains that this lower area of a leek is slightly sweeter and more flavorful than the upper, green portion. He does, however, point out that the green portion has many uses as well: finely chopped, it can serve as a tasty garnish (like chives) and stewed, it makes a great side dish or soup ingredient. Burke also suggests deep-frying or crisp-sauteeing the green portion to make a tasty appetizer similar to onion rings. - Once the leeks have become slightly tender, Burke starts adding the cream, pouring it into the pan a little at a time (figure E). Once all the cream is in the pan, Burke moves on to the seasonings: salt, pepper and nutmeg.
For the nutmeg, Burke uses a special nutmeg grater (figure F) to produce a fine, fresh powder. For those who don't have this type of grater, Burke suggests using the bottom of a broad pan (such as a sautee pan) to break a piece of fresh nutmeg into several small pieces, then grinding these pieces in a pepper mill to achieve the same effect. Tip: Burke also notes that using pepper mills in this fashion works well for a variety of seasonsings (star anise, fennel seeds, etc). Just place labels on the mills to identify each seasoning, and you'll be able to instantly add the perfect flavor to all your salads and recipes! - As the leek cream continues to simmer on the stove, Burke begins preparing the steaks. He explains that "au poivre" translates to "with pepper" and emphasizes that preparing steak in this manner is quite different from many traditional steak-preparation techniques.
The peppercorns used here include three types: red, black and white (figure G). Burke notes that the red (or deep pink) peppercorns are actually berries from a dried rose plant. Though they're not traditionally used in a recipe that calls for peppercorns, Burke says their highly fragrant aroma as well as their vibrant color makes them well worth including. - To crush the peppercorns (which is more difficult than it may sound), Burke folds them into a sheet of waxed paper, places a cast-iron skillet on top and presses down firmly several times, moving the skillet slightly with each application of pressure.
- Then he pours the crushed pieces into a glass baking dish (figure H) and salts both sides of the steaks (figure I). Burke also turns each steak on its side to salt the edge of fat. Since some people eat this portion along with the rest of the steak, it makes sense to season it, he says.
- After salting the steaks, he firmly presses each one into the peppercorn layer in the glass dish -- first one side then the other -- to ensure that both sides get a thorough coating of spicy, delicious flavor (figure J).
Steak au Poivre with Creamed Spinach and Whipped Potatoes
Recipe courtesy David Burke of Park Avenue Cafe Ingredients: 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons white peppercorns
2 tablespoons pink peppercorns
4 10-ounce N.Y. sirloin steaks, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
24 ounces whipped potatoes (recipe follows)
24 ounces creamed spinach (recipe follows)
1shallot, minced
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock (or canned bouillon)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons creme fraiche Preparation: Preheat oven to 400 dergees. Mix peppercorns together. Lay out sirloin steaks on work surface. Salt both sides of each steak. Pat both sides of each steak with peppercorns. Place a large pan on medium high heat; add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan and heat till smoking. Add steaks to pan and sear 3 minutes on each side. Remove steaks from pan and place on baking sheet. Place steaks, creamed spinach and whipped potatoes (recipes following) in oven. Cook steaks: 5 minutes for rare, 7 minutes for medium rare, 10 minutes for medium, 14 minutes for medium well, 20 minutes for well done. Leave potatoes and spinach in oven 15 to 20 minutes. till heated through. Meanwhile make sauce for steaks: Return pan used for steaks to high heat. Add shallots, and saute 30 seconds. Add wine to pan, using a spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to pan. Add beef stock and reduce by half over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and stir in mustard and creme fraiche. Allow sauce to come to a boil and then strain through a fine strainer. Keep warm. Place steaks on individual warm plates and spoon sauce over steaks. Serve with whipped potatoes and creamed spinach. Yield: 4 servings
Active preparation time: 35 minutes
Nonactive preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes Creamed Spinach 1 pound leaf spinach, cleaned
2 tablespoons butter
1 large leek, chopped, white part only, cleaned
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg Preparation:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Plunge spinach into boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Remove spinach from water and place in colander, refresh under cold running water. Gently squeeze excess water from spinach. Set aside. In a medium saucepot over medium high heat, place 2 tablespoons butter. Add leeks to pot and sweat 5 minutes till leeks are tender but not colored. Add cream to leeks and raise heat to high; boil cream till reduced by half. Place spinach in bowl of food processor and process adding hot cream in slow, steady stream. Season spinach with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Place spinach in ovenproof casserole. Yield: 4 servings
Impromptu Gourmet kits include premeasured, prechopped ingredients (as well as a handy instruction booklet) that make it easy to create five-star meals at home in half an hour or less. Just go to www.impromptugourmet.com and select these entrees from the list.
RESOURCES :
Complete Meat Cookbook
Model: 0395904927
Author: Bruce Aidells
(1998)
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com
Marinades: Dry Rubs, Pastes and Marinades for Poultry, Meat, Seafood, Cheese and Vegetables
Model: 0895945312
Author: Jim Tarantino
(1992)
The Crossing Press
Watsonville, CA 95019
Phone: 408-722-0711
Fax: 408-772-2749
Website: www.crossingpress.com
The World Encyclopedia of Meat, Game and Poultry
Model: 0754806022
Author: Lucy Knox and Keith Richmond
(2000)
Lorenz Books / Anness Publishing Inc.
Website: www.lorenzbooks.com
Strictly Steak
Model: 1580800483
Author: A. D. Livingston
(2000)
Burford Books
Short Hills, NJ 07078
Phone: 973-258-0960
Fax: 973-258-0113
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