June 2, 2008
SPECIAL REQUESTS: FROM THE MENU OF ... STONEY RIVER LEGENDARY STEAKS
Q: Do you by chance have the recipe for Stoney River's filet Oscar? I live in Colorado Springs (an hour south of Denver) and travel frequently. My trip to Atlanta several weeks ago was a first to Stoney River, and it was fabulous. We don't have the restaurant where I live, and I would love the recipe.
JANNA FLANDERS, Colorado Springs, Colo.
A: "We're a modern American steakhouse," said Lee Schulman, the managing partner at Stoney River's Cumberland Mall location. "We have a lot of those classic preparations, like the Oscar and the au poive, but we also have a Chilean sea bass in a red curry coconut broth, and on the lunch menu we have a Thai steak salad with a cilantro vinaigrette." When it comes to traditional dishes such as the filet Oscar, Schulman said, "There are no smoke and mirrors —- it's the best ingredients we can find executed at a very high standard."
Stoney River Filet Oscar: 4 servings
Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Stoney River serves a 9- to 10-ounce filet per person . . . quite a bit of beef. Here we have calculated a 5-ounce serving per person.
1 large bunch asparagus
4 (5-ounce) filets mignon
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
1 cup Bearnaise Sauce (see recipe)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a pot of water to boil. Blanch asparagus and set aside. Season beef with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
Heat olive oil in a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Sear filets for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer filets to the oven and cook to an internal temperature of 135 degrees (medium rare).
While filets are cooking, heat butter and garlic in a saute pan. When butter is melted, add the asparagus, sprinkle with salt and pepper and heat through.
Heat crab meat in the microwave for 20 seconds; toss gently with the bearnaise. Place 1/4 of the crab mixture atop each filet, and place 1/4 of the asparagus on the side.
Per serving: 741 calories (percent of calories from fat, 69), 54 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 56 grams fat (27 grams saturated), 415 milligrams cholesterol, 413 milligrams sodium.
Bearnaise Sauce: Makes 1 cup
Hands on: 25 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Tangy and buttery all at once, a bearnaise recipe ought to be included in every cook's arsenal. Serve it with vegetables, seafood or even chicken.
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves, divided
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine vinegar, wine, shallots, black pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon. Cook until reduced to 1 tablespoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon water to reduced vinegar mixture. Whisk until thick and pale, about 2 minutes.
Set the pan over moderately low heat and continue to whisk, reaching all over bottom and insides of pan, where the eggs tend to overcook. As they cook, the eggs will become frothy and increase in volume, then thicken. When the bottom of the pan is visible in the streaks left by the whisk and the eggs are thick and smooth, remove from heat. By spoonfuls, add the soft butter, whisking constantly to incorporate each addition. Season with salt, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped tarragon and, if desired, pepper.
Per 1/4 cup: 262 calories (percent of calories from fat, 92), 3 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 27 grams fat (15 grams saturated), 222 milligrams cholesterol, 10 milligrams sodium.