Cabernet with Paprika Sauced Filet... DELISH!

As part of my work I often taste and pair my client's wines with recipes. This is one of my passions and I'm grateful I get to do it so often (and share it with you). I had a great time yesterday working on this dish. The direction I ended up going was ultimately simple, but very elegant and served as a wonderful foundation for the wine. I'll talk more about the wine after the recipe. I also chose to do the requisite vegetable as a first course, again, so the wine could shine with out distraction.

First Course: Slow Roasted Grape Tomatoes with Hericot Vert

Wine: White Haven 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough NZ)

Slow Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Hericot Vert

I chose this wine pairing because both tomatoes and green beans pair beautifully with Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blancs have bright, often citrus/grassy notes that work wonderfully with bright, green and acidic flavors. Roasting the tomatoes brought out their sweetness, but retained the brightness of the fruit. I also added fresh tarragon to the tomatoes and tossed the green beans in a touch of olive oil cold pressed with blood oranges... the flavors were wildly expressive and (as I like to say) danced beautifully with the wine. Look for this recipe in an upcoming post.

Main Course: Filet of Beef, with Parsnip-Potato Puree, finished with Smoked Paprika Cream Sauce and Fresh Herbed Butter

Filet of Beef with Parsnip-Potato Puree

MUCH MORE AFTER THE BREAK


Herb Butter

• 1 stick salted butter at room temperature
  
• 1 Teaspoon each - fresh minced thyme, rosemary and chives - plus reserved sprigs for plating

Method: Mix herbs and butter and reshape into block, chill until ready to serve.

Smoked Paprika Cream Sauce

• 1 medium onion - sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 2 cups reduced chicken stock - simply heat organic chicken stock until it reduces in volume by 3/4th - basically if you started with 8 cups it should reduce to 2 cups. This can be done the day before and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• 3 cups heavy cream
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method: Saute onions with 2 tablespoons of butter over low/medium heat until onions start to soften. Add smoked paprika and continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until onions start to become translucent. Once onions are quite soft, add reheated reduced stock. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer (Chiniose). Discard strained onions, and return broth to low heat and keep warm.

In the meantime heat cream and continue to cook over medium heat until cream begins to thicken - do not boil, stir often. When cream has thickened add to the strained broth and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Finally add 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk into broth and cream mixture. Hold finished sauce in a double boiler over low heat unit ready to plate.

Note: This sauce will have a soup like consistency, and makes a beautiful base for plating, I suggest using a plate with edges to hold the sauce.

Potato and Parsnip Puree

• 4 Russet potatoes
• 2 Parsnips
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, salt water and add pealed and quartered potatoes along with peeled parsnips cut into 4 inch long pieces. Once potatoes and parsnips are soft, strain and cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle place potatoes and parsnips in a food processor, add heated cream and butter and pulse just until they are whipped into mashed consistency. DON'T over mix them, or they will release too much of their gluten and get gooey.

Note:If you have a potato ricer or press, they work best; simply rice or press the potatoes and parsnips and then stir in the heated cream and butter. 

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and return mixture to pan and keep warm over low heat until ready to plate - again, a double boiler is recommended for holding, or if you don't have one, put them in a covered microwave proof dish and hold them until ready to serve, simply reheat to desired temperature in microwave.

Filet

• 4 Beef Filets
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Method: Rub filets with oil on both sides; salt and pepper them. Sear filets over medium/high heat for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and place on baking sheet. Finish cooking in oven heated to 425 for an additional 8-12 minutes or until meat reaches approximately 135F (for medium). Remove from oven and allow meat to rest covered for about 10 minutes.

Plating: Ladle Smoked Paprika Cream sauce onto base of plate. Spoon Potato/Parsnip puree on top, and then arrange with Filet. Place pat of herbed butter on potatoes. Finish plating with a few of the reserved herb sprigs.

And now about that wine... WOW. Woodworth Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008/Barrel Reserve.

Woodworth 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon and adoring fans...

This is a big lush wine with only about 60 cases made. The fruit came from De Luz, a small micro-climate region of Southern California that's much cooler and foggier than most of the Mediterranean climate. This wine was aged in New French oak barrels for  21 months. It has a big, rich, complex nose of violets, and plums and dark berries laced with cedar. Upon first sip the fruit explodes on your tongue - blackberries, currants, purple plums, and right behind that soft spices, some subtle green olive, and then rewards you with a long finish with cocoa, coffee, and soft leather; all along the way, the mouth feel is silky and the tannins perfectly balanced to pair with the creaminess of the Smoked Paprika sauce along with the richness of the filet.

If I haven't tempted you to go online and buy some of this amazing Cab before it's all gone, then I think I may be failing at my job. I know I'm gonna stock pile a few bottles!