French food recipes often call for veal stock and this is the best recipe I’ve ever found.  This rich and flavorful veal stock is made with five pounds of veal bones and simmers for 24 hours to fully develop the flavor of the stock. The recipe is from “Terra”, a cookbook by Hiro Sone and Lisa Doumani published by 10 Speed Press, probably my all-time favorite cookbook!  I’ve made about half the recipes and every one has been good!

This veal stock recipe makes about 7 cups of stock.  I always make the full recipe and freeze leftover stock in 1 cup portions.  I use this stock for numerous French food recipes, including Tournedos Rossini, Ragout of Sweetbreads, Mushrooms, Prosciutto, and White Truffle Oil (also a Terra recipe), and Foie Gras Lucullus (foie gras with black truffles).

Ingredients:

5 lbs. veal bones, cut into 2 – 4 inch pieces

2 cups dry red wine

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

1/2 bulb garlic, halved crosswise (do not peel)

1 cup water

3 bay leaves

2 teaspoons black pepper corns

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup tomato paste

3 ripe tomatoes, haved

Instructions:

Put the veal bones in a large roasting pan and roast until golden brown, about 30 – 45 minutes. Transfer the bones to a large stockpot. Add the wine to the roasting pan set over medium heat, and deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the liquid to the stockpot.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over high heat, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and sauté until golden brown, about 6 – 8 minutes.  Add the vegetables to the pot, deglaze the pan with the water, and add the liquid to the stockpot. Fill the stockpot with enough water to cover the veal bones.  Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that develops.

Add all the remaining ingredients, bring back to a boil, then decrease the heat to a simmer.  Cook for at least 12 hours, but preferably 24 hours.  Keep adding hot water to maintain the water level, which you will need to do 4 – 6 times.

Strain veal stock through a fine mesh sieve into a smaller pot and cook over high heat until reduced to about 7 cups (if there is only 7 cups of liquid at this point, there is no need to cook the stock further). Sit the pan of stock in a bowl of ice water to cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight (or place in freezer for about one to two hours). Remove the layer of congealed fat on top.  Store veal stock in the refrigerator for 3 days or for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Our recipe for Tournedos Rossini takes this already decadent classic dish made of filet mignon, seared foie gras and fresh black truffles to another level of indulgence.  This divine dish is made with Australia’s finest 100% Wagyu beef filet mignon, a homemade veal stock which simmers for 24 hours (rendering an intensely flavored stock as the base for the demi-glace sauce), fresh Perigord truffles, perfectly seared foie gras, served on a creamy white truffle celery root puree.

One might think this dish could be too rich to consume.  After all, Blackmore 100% Wagyu beef has a marbling score close to Japanese Kobe Beef, and is so rich and tender, it almost melts in your mouth.  Amazingly enough, even with the addition of buttery foie gras and a rich black truffle infused demi glace, the overall dish does not seem excessively heavy.  It’s rich, satisfying, and wonderfully delicious.

Tournedos Rossini is typically served on a piece of toasted bread or brioche. To make this classic version, simply omit the celery root puree and use the toasted bread as the base of the dish instead.

Ingredients:

Two 6-oz Blackmore 100% Wagyu Beef filet mignon steaks, at room temperature

Two 2-oz slices foie gras

1/2 ounce fresh black truffle

1 cup veal stock, preferably home-made

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup minced shallots

1/2 cup Madera wine

1 small bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 for the sauce, 2 for garnish

1/2 teaspoon white truffle balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and diced

Celery root puree or two pieces of toasted bread

Instructions:

If using homemade veal stock, begin preparing the stock at least 24 hours in advance.  (veal stock recipe).  If serving the dish with celery root puree, prepare the puree prior to making the sauce and keep warm or gently reheat at serving time.

To make the sauce, melt a tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat until translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes.  Add the Madera wine to the shallots and cook until the wine is reduced by half and is somewhat thickened.  Add the bay leaf, thyme, and veal stock and cook until reduced by half again, leaving about 3/4 cup of sauce in the pan.  Add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  Slice the black truffle thinly with a truffle shaver or sharp knife and set aside.  Whisk in the cold, cubed butter to the sauce a few pieces at a time. When the butter has been incorporated into the sauce, add the truffle slices.  Keep the sauce warm over a double boiler for at least 30 minutes, allowing the black truffle flavor to permeate the sauce. Alternatively, allow the sauce to sit, covered, for 30 minutes, then gently reheat when ready to serve the dish.

Heat a frying pan to medium. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in the pan. Sprinkle the Wagyu Beef filet mignon with sea salt and pepper.  Add the steaks to the pan and cook on each side about 2 minutes or until the steaks are rare.  Set aside and cover with foil.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the foie gras. Sear the foie gras in a frying pan over medium heat, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.  Set foie gras on a paper towel.

To serve, place about 1/2 cup celery root puree in the middle of a heated plate. Place the filet mignon on top of the celery root puree and top the filet with a piece of seared foie gras.  Spoon the warm sauce and black truffles over the foie gras and steak, allowing a pool of sauce to remain in the plate.  Garnish with fresh thyme.

Having received samples of Wagyu beef from Mishima Ranch US Kobe Beef and grass fed beef from Long Valley Ranch, I was anxious to cook the steaks “just the right way” to ensure the optimal experience and to be able to evaluate the differences between the two steaks.

I was surprised to see so few recipes for US Kobe beef filet or Wagyu beef filet online and finally decided to prepare one of my all time favorite recipes for filet mignon – Steak au Poivre – one of the most famous French food recipes. I wondered if the rich sauce made of cognac and creme fraiche would be too rich for the Wagyu beef filet, but I decided to go ahead and try it. And I’m glad I did! The result was delicious. Half way through the meal, I had the absurd idea of adding seared foie gras to the already rich Wagyu beef steak.  Amazingly, I thought the recipe and overall culinary experience was even better with the foie gras.

The US Kobe beef I used was the top grade “Mishima Ranch American Style Kobe Beef”.  Though the filet was well marbled, the cut was still quite lean, which is probably why the rich sauce and foie gras worked.  The Long Valley Ranch filet was also lean, with no significant marbling.  I prepared both steaks exactly the same in order to get a try sense of the differences between the two.

Both steaks worked equally well, and frankly, any good quality filet mignon could be used in this recipe.  I personally have a preference for a more tender steak, and the Mishima Ranch US Kobe Beef was by far more tender.  Both steaks were cooked rare (which is recommended for any type of Wagyu beef), and both steaks were juicy and flavorful.  The Mishima Ranch US Kobe Beef had a more delicate and sweet flavor, where the Long Valley Ranch steak was bolder and meatier.  Both steaks were delicious, but my preference overall was the Mishima Ranch and therefore, I’ve written the recipe using US Kobe beef.

US Kobe Beef Steak au Poivre

Ingredients:

Two 6 oz Mishima Ranch US Kobe Beef Filets

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon crushed black pepper corns

sea salt

3 tablespoons Cognac or brandy

1/4 cup creme fraiche

1 teaspoon green peppercorns

Two 2 oz portions of raw foie gras, salted  (optional)

Instructions:

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking the steaks.  Crush the black peppercorns (there should be large pieces of pepper, and virtually no “powder”).  Sprinkle sea salt and the black peppercorns on both sides of the steaks and set aside.

Heat a skillet to medium high and add the butter.  When the butter is melted, but not brown, add the steaks to the pan.  Cook the steaks about four minutes total, two minutes on each side, or until nicely brown and crispy on the outside, but still rare on the inside.  Adjust to medium heat and carefully pour the Cognac or brandy over the steaks in the skillet, and immediately light on fire by turning the pan to catch the flame of the gas burner, or by using a match.  Turn the steaks in the pan once, then remove the steaks.  This must all be done quickly, or the Cognac will reduce to nothing.

With the heat still on medium (or possibly medium low), add the creme fraiche to the reduced Cognac and butter mixture.  Stir immediately to incorporate.  Add the green pepper corns and adjust salt to taste.  Serve each steak on a warm plate and cover with half the sauce.

If using foie gras, sear the foie gras for about one minute on each side while preparing the plates.  Serve the foie gras on top of the steak.

This classic French soup served chilled is wonderful with a large dollop of Black River Caviar.  Though another type of ossetra caviar can be used, Black River Caviar is our favorite because it is so similar to wild caviar, yet it is farmed using innovative and sustainable farming techniques that almost exactly imitate the natural environment of wild sturgeon.  This magnificent caviar is produced from “wild raised” Siberian sturgeon, originally imported in 1995 from Russia as fertilized roe.  Light brown to jet black in color, Black River Caviar is large grain, has a fresh, clean, nutty taste, and sweet and creamy finish.

Since the caviar will sit on the surface of the soup, you’ll want to make sure the soup is thick enough to hold the caviar. If you use home made chicken stock, the stock will be more gelatinous and therefore the chilled soup will have a thicker consistency.  If store-bought stock is used, simply add more potatoes to adjust the thickness.  Either way, use plenty of potato when you cook the soup.  Before blending the soup, you can set aside some of the diced potato, and add it as needed to get the proper consistency. Or, at the end, when the soup is chilled, you can add milk or cream to thin out the soup.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3/4 cup cleaned and sliced leek (white part only)

12 ounces peeled and diced Yukon Gold or russet potatoes (about 2 cups)

2 cups chicken stock, preferably home-made

2 cups heavy cream

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

2 ounces Black River Caviar

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the sliced leek and cook for 3 – 5 minutes until tender but not browned.  Add a small amount of water if the leeks begin to brown at all.  Add the potatoes and cook for a few minutes, but but do not allow them to brown.  Add the chicken stock and simmer about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender.  Add the cream and return to a simmer.  Remove the soup from the stove and let cool for about 30 minutes.  Puree the soup in a food processor until very smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve.  Remember that the soup will continue to thicken as it cools.  Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper then refrigerate the soup until well chilled.  If the soup is too thick, whisk in some milk or cream.

Serve the soup in chilled bowls.  Sprinkle the soup with the finely sliced chives and garnish with a large dollop of caviar.

This foie gras terrine is layered with fresh spinach leaves and served with a black truffle salad with aged balsamic vinegar and white truffle oil.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 to 1 lobe of Grade A Foie Gras
• Salt and white pepper
• 3 to 4 tablespoons of Sauternes
• 3 to 4 tablespoons brandy
• 1 bunch spinach leaves, cleaned and stemmed
• Oil for mold
• 2 to 3 roots salsify
• 2 cups loosely packed mesclun leaves
• 8 teaspoons white truffle oil
• 8 teaspoons 100-year-old balsamic vinegar
• 8 teaspoons reduced beet juice
• 2 tablespoons julienned black truffles
• Fleur de Sel and black pepper

Instructions:

Cut 1/2 – 3/4 inch slices of foie gras from the lobe and devein them. Lightly season with salt and white pepper. Marinate in the Sauternes and brandy for several hours.

In a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, quickly sear the foie gras slices on both sides. Do not overcook. Cool the foie gras slightly on paper towels. Wilt the spinach leaves in the foie gras fat and blot on a paper towel. Season the spinach lightly with salt and pepper and allow to cool. Rub the terrine mold with a little oil and line it with plastic wrap. Arrange a layer of foie gras slices in the terrine, and top with a layer of spinach. Continue the layering process until the mold is filled. Press down and drain off any excess fat; cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Peel the salsify roots and slice them length-wise with a vegetable peeler into 12 or 16 thin strips. Place the strips on a non-stick sheet pan or parchment paper and bake at 375 degrees until golden and crispy, about 5 or 6 minutes.

Assembly: Cut 1/2 inch slices (or the desired thickness) of the foie gras terrine. Place a mound of mesclun greens in the center of each plate and top each with 2 slices of the terrine. Arrange the salsify around the terrine. Drizzle some white truffle oil and balsamic vinegar on the greens and around the plates. Drizzle some Beet Juice around the plate. Top the greens with the julienne of black truffle. Season with a little kosher salt and black pepper.

This recipe is one of many wonderful recipes featured in Charlie Trotter’s by Charlie Trotter, published by Ten Speed Press.

Serves 4