Christmas Dinner 2020

It's been a strange and stressful year

This Weeks Ramblings

2020 has been anything but normal. There's no reason to get into it. We've all lived through it. We've all seen the news and read the articles. I don't know that there's anything I can add to the trash fire of a year that 2020 was, though thankfully our family came through it relatively unscathed.

The Picky Eater knew we would be stuck at home most of Christmas day. Earlier, we had devised a plan to celebrate with The Picky Eater's family the weekend before without putting anyone at risk (it can be done). We managed to come up with an even more elaborate plan to celebrate with the my family to make sure none of them were exposed to anything. We've taken this pandemic very seriously. We've had to since The Picky Eater spends eight or more hours a day working in the hospital. Some how we pulled it off and managed to stay safe and socially distanced through two Christmas celebration. Christmas dinners while masked-up is something I hope to never relive again, though nowhere near as annoying as I had imagined. It also meant that our time with family was severely limited and our somewhat-annual get together with neighbors was completely off the table.

These all meant dinner at home and that was just fine with The Picky Eater. That was the Christmas present she wanted. She wanted surf and turf.

Surf and turf isn't something I make often. I like everything that goes into it, I just don't usually make all of it at the same time. Luckily the local grocery stores I usually visit had the filets at a reasonable price. We also had scallops in the freezer (we live a land-locked state, so fresh is almost never an option). So, the Christmas dinner menu was set and The Picky Eater was excited which can be a rare thing, she IS The Picky Eater after all!

It was a nice quiet evening and I managed not to ruin the meal. We had seared Filet Mignon with balsamic reduction, fried shallots and pureed garlic potatoes, sea scallops with balsamic glazed bacon, and sauteed zucchini with garlic and Parmesan. A few candles, the Christmas tree in the background and a nice bottle of wine, and I have to say The Picky Eater's wish for a Christmas present was quite a nice end to the holiday!

The recipe for the entire meal is below. It sounds complicated, and getting it to all come together seems daunting at first (I was nervous), but to be honest, it was much easier to pull off than I expected. Everything was something I had done before, but never all at once. A little planning ahead (cooking the bacon first, then cooking the steaks in the bacon drippings, then cooking the scallops while the steaks rested) did really paid off and saved me a ton of time (also, steaks cooked in bacon fat - come on!).

Anyway, from me, The Crew, and The Picky Eater: Merry Christmas!

Surf and Turf

My Thoughts

This is quite the meal. It's got Filet Mignon. It's got scallops. It's got bacon. The Crew says "You shouldn't have". The Picky Eater says "He didn't". I say, well at least it mostly uses one pan (the bacon, steaks, and scallops all get cooked in the same cast iron - just at different times).

This is one of The Picky Eater's favorite meals. Okay, how could it not be. It's probably the most high-end ingredients I cook with and it's not something we have very often at all. The only reason not to love this is if something goes horribly wrong (it didn't and it won't for you).

To me it is the perfect high-end, date night (or in this case Christmas Night dinner with The Picky Eater) meal. The steak is tender with a nice sweet note coming from the balsamic reduction. The scallops are so tender with that perfect sear and crust on the outside, and the zucchini is a nice accompaniment to bring a little green to the plate. And don't forget the rich and creamy garlic potato puree. It really is a nice plate of food.

It is a bit complex to get it to come together all at the same time, but it is quite the wonderful meal. The key is to partially cook the bacon in the cast iron, then cooking the steak in the same pan, and then while the steak rests, cooking the scallops in the cast iron pan full of goodness, as soon as those are done, through the bacon back in the skillet and toss with some of the balsamic reduction. Not only does it add tons of flavor as you move to the next protein, it means that you're not juggling three different pans (I only have for spots on the stove so every little bit helps). That being said, there's still a lot of moving parts. That's why I've rated this one hard. There's no one component that particularly difficult to pull off, but I find it a bit tricky to get it to come together all at the same time. You'll probably fair better, there are some days I find it tricky to tie my shoes so there you go.

Difficulty

Hard
Makes

2 Servings
Tools
Time

Prep Time 30 min.

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 min.

The How To Do It

This is a complete meal so follow the instructions below for each component.

Filet of Beef (Filet Mignon)

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator about 30-45 minutes before you are ready to cook them, pat them dry with a paper towel, and season them heavily with coarse sea salt (such as Maldon salt or kosher if that's what you have). Once you have seasoned them place them back in the refrigerator uncovered. This draws some of moisture out of the exterior, allowing it to evaporate, and then actually reabsorbs into the meat (bringing the the salt with it so not all the salty flavor is on the outside). Having moisture on surface of the steak is what prevents browning and that wonderful crust. If you don't want to do this in advance, just make sure the surface is very dry. This is a nice step, but you'll get a nice sear regardless of if you take the time to do this.
Preheat your oven to 450°.
Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is hot. When you place the the steaks in the pan there should be a good bit of sizzle. If there's not, pull the steak out and let the pan get hotter. Think of the crowd going wild after the home team hits a game winning grand slam. It should sound like that.
Sear the steak on one side for 2 minutes (6 minutes for The Picky Eater).
Place the butter and rosemary (and additional/other herbs if you prefer) and let it melt.
Flip the steak and tilt the pan slightly (not too much, you don't want to spill it and start a fire!) and start spooning the butter/oil mixture over the steaks. This will infuse great flavor into the meat. It also keeps cooking the top so which offsets the time in the oven the bottom side will be against the hot cast iron leaving you with a nice, even center (brown edges with even red/pink in the middle). I usually baste the steaks for about 1 minute and then it's into the oven.
Once you've finished searing both sides, slide the steaks into the oven and cook for 6 minutes. Obviously you'll want to reduce the time for less doneness. This is also just an estimate. The time it takes in the oven will vary depending on the size of the steak you're cooking. I actually use a meat thermometer to monitor the temp. You're aiming for 130°F for medium rare. If you also have a Picky Eater in your midst, you're looking for 150°F (medium well) or higher (for those that prefer charcoal to meat).
While the steaks are in the oven, start making the fried shallots (the recipe follows this one) and the balsamic reduction (the recipe follows this one as well, and it can actually be made well in advance).
After 6 minutes (or however long it takes) remove the steaks from the oven and place them on a plate or cutting board. Tent them with aluminum foil and let the rest for 5-10 minutes.
Place the steaks on the plate you plan to serve them on and drizzle with the balsamic reduction and place half of the shallots on top.

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Fried Shallots

Slice the shallot as thinly as possible. Take your time and make sure not to cut yourself and that they are so thin you can almost see through them - about 1/16^th of an inch.
Place in a bowl with 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of buttermilk. You want to just cover them, so however much buttermilk that is without wasting anymore than you have to. Let them soak in the buttermilk for 5-10 minutes.
In another bowl add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
In a small pot over medium-high heat, add the cup (maybe 2 cups if it is a really large shallot) and heat it until it has reached 325°. Honestly, the temp really doesn't matter here. All we're trying to do is brown the flour mixture. I usually drop a tester piece in and when it starts to bubble and brown I know I'm good to go. This isn't a big enough cook to worry about busting out the thermometer or anything like that.
Once they are nice and golden brown, remove them from the oil (use a spider or slotted spoon) and let them drain on a saucer lined with a paper towel.

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Balsamic Reduction

In a small pot add the vinegar and honey and bring to a boil. Reduce the mixture to low and let simmer for 10 minutes or until it becomes a thick sauce (not jelly like, that's a bit too far).
Let cool and then spoon over your dish or bottle it and save it for later.

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Garlic Potato Puree

Peel the potatoes with a potato peeler and cut them into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch cubes.
Place the potatoes in a medium sized pot with enough water to cover them and bring them to boil.
Let the potatoes cook until they are soft (I test them with a fork. If they fall apart when you push the fork into them, they are ready).
Drain the potatoes and place them in either in a blender and pureeing them ,or a mixing bowl and mash them with an old fashioned potato masher (there will be lumps).
Mix in the cream, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper.
If the mixture has cooled off, slide the potatoes into a warm oven for 5-10 minutes to warm them back up.

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Seared Scallops With Balsamic Glased Bacon

Cut the bacon strips in half. You're going to crumble them up eventually, so this allows you to use a smaller pan.
Coat the scallops with oil, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. I usually mix the seasonings together in a small bowl versus trying to evenly sprinkle them over the scallops individually.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with a little oil in it.
Fry the bacon until it is almost crispy and remove it to a saucer lined with paper towels to drain.
Place the scallops into the skillet you just fried the bacon in and cook on each side until a brown crust forms. It will be no more than 2 minutes per side. If you cook scallops too long they turn into rubber erasers. Okay, not literally - I seriously doubt they would erase anything, but I'm pretty sure the only one that would find them appetizing is the paste-eating kid you remember from kindergarten.
Remove the scallops from the skillet and place the bacon back in.
Add the balsamic reduction and stir until the bacon is well coated.
Place the scallops on the plate and top with the bacon and you are done!

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Sauted Zucchini with Garlic and Parmesan

Cut a medium-large zucchini into 2-inch strips that are roughly 1/4-inch think.
Grate the Parmesan cheese.
Mince the garlic clove (or skip this step and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic).
Heat the olive oil in small saute pan over medium-high heat.
If using the garlic clove, add the garlic to the hot oil and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the zucchini, salt and pepper and saute until it is soft (about 10 minutes).
Place the plate and sprinkle with the freshly grated Parmesan.

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Ingredients

2 filets: filet mignon
*recipe follows
¼ cup: fried shallot straws
2 tbsp: balsamic reduction
1 cup: garlic potato puree
6 scallops: seared scallops with balsamic glased bacon

2 filets: filet mignon
1 tbsp: Maldon salt
1 tsp: granulated garlic
1 tbsp: black pepper
2 tbsp: balsamic reduction
4 tbsp: fried shallot straws

1 shallot: shallot
¼ cup: flour
½ cup: buttermilk
½ tsp: kosher salt
½ tsp: granulated garlic

½ cup: balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp: honey

3 meds: russet potato
¼ cup: heavy cream
2 tbsp: unsalted butter
1 tsp: granulated garlic
1 tsp: kosher salt
½ tsp: white pepper

6 scallops: scallops
3 strips: bacon
1 tbsp: balsamic reduction
1 tsp: kosher salt
½ tsp: granulated garlic
½ tsp: black pepper

1 med: zucchini
2 tbsp: freshly grated parmesan
1 clove: garlic
¼ tsp: kosher salt
¼ tsp: black pepper

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