Flank Steak Wrapped Petit Filet with Smashed Potatoes with Creme Fraiche - mushrooms

Method

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• With a paper towel, wipe all your mushrooms clean.
• (Don't soak them in water and then drain them.
• Mushrooms are like little sponges.
• They'll suck up water and get mushy.)
• Trim and discard the dried up part on the end of the mushroom stems.
• Spread the mushrooms on a large sheet pan and drizzle with some olive oil.
• Season with salt and toss to coat.
• Roast the mushrooms for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Using a paper towel, blot the filets and flank steak to remove excess moisture.
• Sprinkle both sides of the beef with salt and pepper.
• Rub the tops of the filets with 1 tablespoon of the chopped thyme.
• Let the filets sit out, covered, to bring them up to room temperature before cooking.
• Slice the flank steak lengthwise into 1-inch strips and wrap each filet around the edges with the flank steak strips.
• You may have leftover flank steak.
• Tie each filet with kitchen string, or insert a toothpick through to hold the flank steak to the filet.
• When the mushrooms are roasted and nice and golden brown, remove from the oven, let cool a bit and then roughly chop.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• In a large fry pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter on medium-high heat.
• As soon as the butter starts to bubble and get frothy, throw in the roasted mushrooms and any oil and drippings from the baking sheet.
• Saute the mushrooms for 8 to 10 minutes, and then deglaze the pan with the red wine.
• Cook until most of the red wine has reduced to almost nothing.
• Add the half-and-half to the pan while stirring the mushrooms.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer and reduce by half.
• Add the milk, and reduce that by one-third.
• You should have nice rich sauce that coats the back of a spoon and holds a line through it.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
• Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.
• (Can place it in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water.)
• Wash the asparagus, and, with a vegetable peeler, remove the outer layer of asparagus.
• Cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces.
• Heat a large fry pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil and add the bacon.
• Stir and cook the bacon until it begins to brown.
• Add the asparagus and cook until just softened.
• Add the white wine vinegar and cook for a few seconds, and then remove from the heat and keep warm.
• Heat a large ovenproof fry pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
• (If you have a really large frying pan you can put all 4 filets in the pan.
• If you don't, cook in batches using 1 tablespoon of oil per batch.
• You don't want the steaks to touch.
• We want to get a nice sear on the outside of the filets and to achieve this, your filets need room.)
• Add the filets to the hot pan and sear until your filet has relaxed to the point where it will let go of the pan, about 3 minutes on one side, and then flip.
• Add a generous clump of butter to the hot pan and, when it's melted, tip the fry pan towards you so the butter pools in one spot.
• Add the 3 full sprigs of thyme.
• Now, with a large spoon, start basting your filets with the melted thyme flavored butter.
• Flip the filets, baste each one again and transfer to the oven for a few minutes until just cooked through to medium.
• To serve: Plate the Smashed Potatoes with Creme Fraiche just off to one side of the center of the plate.
• Retrieve your filets from the oven and remove the string or toothpicks.
• Lean a filet up against the potatoes.
• Top with the mushroom gravy and place the asparagus in front of the filet.
• Dust with the chopped parsley.
• Wash the potatoes and place in a pot of salted water, enough to just cover the tops of the potatoes.
• Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer and cook until fork tender.
• (When you stick a fork into the potato and it falls off with no resistance, they're done.)
• Drain the potatoes and place on a tea towel or paper towel.
• With the palm of your hand, lightly smash the potatoes so they just pop open a bit and split.
• Make sure they kind of keep their shape.
• In a large fry pan on medium heat, melt the butter and add the garlic, shallots, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper.
• When the garlic and shallots are translucent, add the smashed potatoes and toss so they all get kissed with the butter, shallots and garlic.
• Heat for 5 minutes, and then add the creme fraiche to the pan with half the amount of chopped chives.
• Toss so everything is nicely coated.
• Serve family style or on individual plates and top with the rest of the chives and a little lemon zest.
• The zest gives the spuds an extra little tang and zip.