Tournedos Rossini with Buttery Brioche and Madeira Jus

⏱ 55 min · Serves 2

The grand old dame of French luxury: a thick fillet steak on a crisp butter-fried brioche crouton, crowned with seared foie gras and shaved black truffle, all lacquered in a glossy Madeira jus. Utterly decadent, and faster to cook than you'd think — the trick is having everything ready before the pan gets hot.

Per serving: 1080 kcal · 54.0g protein · 26.0g carbs · 81.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 x 180g beef fillet steaks (tournedos), cut 4cm thick, tied with string
• 2 slices brioche loaf, 2cm thick, cut into rounds slightly wider than the steaks
• 2 x 60g slices raw duck or goose foie gras, chilled
• 60g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
• 120ml Madeira (Sercial or Bual)
• 250ml good beef or veal stock, reduced from 500ml if thin
• 1 tsp truffle paste or 1 small black truffle, for shaving (optional but glorious)
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 small garlic clove, bruised
• Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Take the steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead and pat very dry. Keep the foie gras in the fridge until the last moment. Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper.
2. Make the jus: melt 10g butter in a small saucepan, soften the shallot for 3 minutes without colouring. Add the Madeira and reduce by two-thirds until syrupy. Add the stock and simmer until reduced to about 120ml and coating a spoon, 12–15 minutes. Strain, stir in truffle paste if using, and keep warm.
3. Fry the brioche: melt 25g butter in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the brioche rounds until deep golden and crisp on both sides, about 90 seconds a side. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.
4. Wipe the pan, add the oil and set over high heat. Sear the steaks for 2.5–3 minutes per side for rare to medium-rare, then add 15g butter, the thyme and garlic and baste for 30 seconds. Transfer to a warm plate, remove the string and rest for 5 minutes.
5. Season the foie gras slices with salt and pepper. In the same pan, poured off of excess fat and set over high heat, sear the foie gras for 45–60 seconds per side until bronzed and just softening. Lift straight onto kitchen paper.
6. Whisk the last 10g cold butter into the warm jus to gloss it. Set a brioche crouton on each warm plate, sit a tournedos on top, crown with foie gras, shave over truffle and spoon the Madeira jus around. Serve at once with wilted spinach or green beans.