bout de papier, Vol. 22, No. 3 (2006) — Fall/Winter 2006 // Automne/Hiver 2006, pp. 34–35
by Margaret Dickenson
Publishers: Margaret’s Sense of Occasion; ISBN 0-9739874-0-5, September 2006
We reproduce below three recipes from renowned cookbook author Margaret Dickenson’s just-released cookbook. Margaret’s Table presents 180 personally created recipes (with photography by her husband Larry) with clear step-by-step, meticulous instructions. Over 60 percent of them are flagged as “No Time, No Talent!” In addition to 25 practical and creative menus, there are hundreds of invaluable “tips” – make ahead, storage, alternate ingredients, presentation and more.
Editor’s Note: Cordon d’Or has announced its Gold Ribbon International Annual Cookbooks and Culinary Arts 2006 Awards. Margaret Dickenson has captured five awards.
Springtime Fillet Mignons (with Fiddleheads and Wild Garlic)
Makes 4 servings (Barbecue Friendly) Spring is the only time of year that nature produces two of its most exotic “wild products” — fiddleheads and wild garlic. As a salute to the happy arrival of our “Canadian” spring, I have designed a fillet mignon recipe where my Sesame Honey Mustard Cognac Sauce plays a critical role in the successful orchestration of the various elements. Served with a mushroom wild rice, the recipe is particularly flavourful as well as intriguing and attractive. (Note: At other times of the year, when fiddleheads and wild garlic are not available, — or if you have yet to develop a taste for the “exotic wild,” use asparagus spears. To serve, lay two cooked and buttered asparagus spears arranged in a crisscross manner, over individual fillet mignon steaks.)
ACCOMPANIMENT TIP: The accompaniments are included in the recipe. Anything else would distract from the amazing combination.
4 fillet mignons or thick fillet steaks
(each: 5 oz or 150 g)
4 strips of bacon
1⅓ tbsp (20 mL) teriyaki marinade/sauce
(commercial)
I tbsp (15 mL) olive oil (preferably garlic infused)
10 oz (280 g) fresh fiddleheads
¼ cup (60 mL) milk
4 cups (I litre) water
To taste salt
I tsp (5 mL) peppercorn steak spice
½ cup (125 mL) Sesame Honey Mustard
Cognac Sauce, divided
3 cups (750 mL) mushroom wild rice
Garnish
8 stems wild garlic (stem and bulb attached), roots
trimmed off
1. Wrap each steak with a single strip of bacon. (Secure bacon in position with a toothpick.)
2. Rub exterior of steaks with teriyaki marinade/ sauce and then olive oil. Let steaks rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse fiddleheads several times in plenty of cold water, swirling to remove brown feathery portions; drain. Trim off brown ends.
4. To cook, add fiddleheads and milk to salted boiling water in a large size saucepan. Bring contents back to a boil and cook fiddleheads for 10 minutes. (Note: This minimum cooking time is important as a food safety precaution.) Drain, rinse a couple of times and drain very well again. Place fiddleheads between paper towels and pat gently to remove extra water.
5. Just before serving, season steaks with peppercorn steak spice and place in a lightly oiled preheated grill pan (heavy skillet or on a barbecue grill) over medium heat. Cook to desired degree of doneness, reducing heat if required and turning once (e.g., rare: about 2 to 2½ minutes per side; medium-rare: about 3 minutes per side). Turn steaks on their sides; rotate (i.e., roll) to sear bacon wrapping.
* If using a barbecue grill, place the steaks on a well oiled, medium-high preheated grill and immediately reduce the heat to medium.
6. Transfer to a plate, remove toothpicks and hood loosely with aluminum foil (shiny side in).
1. Meanwhile, toss heated (and drained again if necessary) fiddleheads with 1⅓ tbsp (20 mL) of Sesame Honey Mustard Cognac Sauce to glaze evenly.
8. For individual servings, if desired place about ⅔ cup (170 mL) of mushroom wild rice in centre of 4 individual oversized dinner plates and top with a grilled steak.
9. Drizzle each steak with I tbsp (15 mL) of Sesame Honey Mustard Cognac Sauce, top with glazed fiddleheads and crown with 2 wild garlics arranged in a criss-cross manner. Garnish plates with drizzles of remaining sauce. MAKE AHEAD TIP (Steps 3 & 4): The fiddleheads may be cooked, placed in an airtight plastic container and stored refrigerated for up to 2 days. Alternative Cooking Technique (for Step 5): Quickly sear both sides of fillet steaks in a lightly oiled preheated grill pan/skillet or on a barbecue grill. Transfer them to a baking sheet, place in a 400°F (200°C) preheated oven and cook to the desired degree of doneness (e.g., medium-rare: about 5 minutes in the oven).
INFORMATION TIP: Fiddleheads are the edible, tightly coiled tops of young ostrich-fern leaves. Their flavour is often compared to that of asparagus but with an “earthy” or “swamp-like” (slightly bitter) edge. Cooking fiddleheads with milk reduces the bitterness. Fiddleheads with longer stems are sweeter and more tender than short stemmed ones.
Mushroom Wild Rice
Makes 3½ cups or almost I litre (4 to 6 regular servings or about 10 cocktail buffet servings) With its additions of garlic, ginger and crunchy almonds, this recipe gives a broader dimension of flavours and textures to the typical stellar combination of wild rice and mushrooms! Yes, my Mushroom Wild Rice is a delectable accompaniment for virtually everything – seafood, fish, game, beef, poultry and pork. Featuring one of Canada’s native food products (i.e., wild rice), it disappears quickly when placed on a buffet table! The recipe certainly is a smart choice for a pot luck event.
I tsp (5 mL) finely chopped fresh garlic
I tsp (5 mL) peeled and grated fresh ginger root
¼ cup (60 mL) butter
¼ cup (60 mL) peeled and diced shallot
2/½ cups or 8 oz (625 mL or 225 g) sliced
mushroom caps
To taste salt and crushed black peppercorns
2 cups (500 mL) cooked tasty wild rice
¼ cup (60 mL) toasted slivered almonds
1. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, sauté garlic and ginger in hot butter for about I minute. Add shallots and sauté carefully until transparent.
2. Add mushrooms, seasoning with salt and crushed black peppercorns; sauté over medium-high heat until just tender and slightly browned. Remove from heat.
3. Shortly before serving, heat mushroom mixture over medium-low heat. Stir in cooked wild rice; combine thoroughly and heat through, adding a few drops of water to keep mixture slightly moist. If necessary, adjust flavours by adding a touch of butter/ garlic butter, salt and/or crushed black peppercorns. Cover and remove from heat immediately. (Note of caution: Avoid overheating rice and/or holding it for more than a few minutes as the grains may open too much.)
4. Stir in toasted almonds and serve.
MAKE AHEAD TIP (Steps 1 & 2): The recipe may be prepared to this point up to 2 days in advance, cooled and stored refrigerated in an airtight plastic container. (Note: The wild rice may also be prepared days in advance.)
Sesame Honey Mustard Cognac Sauce/Drizzle
Makes almost ½ cup (125 mL)
Taste buds are happily stimulated by the pairing of honey and mustard. Add sesame oil, cognac and crushed black peppercorns and one comes up with a cleverly unique sauce/drizzle with flavour hints of “East Meets West.” I combine this slightly sweet and spicy sauce with chicken, beef, cooked bean noodles and sushi rice to devise unusual recipes which appeal to children and adults alike.
3 tbsp (45 mL) Dijon mustard
3 tbsp (45 mL) sesame oil
2/2 tbsp (38 mL) honey, preferably buckwheat*
I tbsp (15 mL) cognac
1⅓ tsp (2 mL) crushed black peppercorns
1. In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Pour sauce into a well-sealed jar and store refrigerated for up to several weeks. Stir/shake well before using.
* Buckwheat honey definitely works best with the cognac and the nutty flavour of the sesame oil. MAKE AHEAD TIP: The sauce can be prepared in just a matter of minutes and kept on hand refrigerated for weeks.
Copies of Margaret’s Table and From the Ambassador’s Table (see bout de papier Vol. 15, No. 3) can be obtained online at www margaretssenseofoccassion com or www.chapters indigo com
View the original scanned pages →
Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 22, No. 3 (2006) — Fall/Winter 2006 // Automne/Hiver 2006, pp. 34–35. Read the rest of this issue →
