Filets in Orange Sauce, or Filettini all'Arancia: This recipe, like chicken in orange sauce, is relatively recent, as is shown by the inclusion of Worcestershire sauce. It will serve 6, and requires:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 thin (half inch, or 1 cm) beef filets of the same size, trimmed of all gristle and fat (about 1 3/4 pounds, or 700 g)
- A scant quarter cup (40 g) unsalted butter
- An ounce (30 g) ham, finely diced
- An ounce of minced veal (25 g)
- An ounce (25 g) leek, the white part only
- A juicy, relatively acid orange
- 1/2 a bullion cube
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste, diluted in 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons dry Marsala
- Worcestershire sauce
- Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 leaves fresh sage
- Salt
Preparation:
Squeeze the orange and combine the juice with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Marinate the meat in the mixture for about an hour. In the meantime prepare the sauce: Begin by grinding the veal into a paste. Mince the leek and sauté it in a tablespoon each olive oil and butter. Once the leek has colored add the minced veal and continue cooking, stirring and pressing the mixture flat with your spoon. Sprinkle the Marsala into the pan and continue cooking until it has evaporated, then add the diced ham. Sprinkle the cornstarch into the skillet, stir, and then stir in the tomato paste and water. Add the half bullion cube, which serves as salt, and simmer the sauce, covered, until its volume is reduced by half.
Blend the sauce at high speed until it is smooth and creamy, then return it to the pot and combine it with the orange juice marinade. Simmer for a few minutes; in the meantime pat the filets dry and sauté them with the sage in the remaining butter and a tablespoon of olive oil; figure a couple minutes per side, and don't overcook them lest they toughen. Salt them lightly when they are done and sprinkle them to taste with Worcestershire sauce.
Arrange the filets on a platter, sprinkle them with some of the sauce, but the remaining sauce in a gravy boat, and serve everything forth. The wine? Something fruity. I'd be tempted to go with a Chardonnay from Friuli.
Blend the sauce at high speed until it is smooth and creamy, then return it to the pot and combine it with the orange juice marinade. Simmer for a few minutes; in the meantime pat the filets dry and sauté them with the sage in the remaining butter and a tablespoon of olive oil; figure a couple minutes per side, and don't overcook them lest they toughen. Salt them lightly when they are done and sprinkle them to taste with Worcestershire sauce.
Arrange the filets on a platter, sprinkle them with some of the sauce, but the remaining sauce in a gravy boat, and serve everything forth. The wine? Something fruity. I'd be tempted to go with a Chardonnay from Friuli.
