Recipe of the Month (Dec)

MEDALLIONS OF SCOTCH BEEF WITH WILD MUSHROOMS, RICH RED WINE SAUCE

Serves 4
Cooking time (entire dish) 45minutes

8 beef tails     
200g wild mushrooms   
300g spinach
10g salt
1 bottle red wine
½ litre of beef jus (stock)
60g unsalted butter
20g butter    

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to over 200’c

Prepare a mixture of wild mushrooms, for example, shitake, oyster, girolle make a combination, so cut up into reasonably big pieces. Fry lightly in a little olive oil until a little colour is given. So onto the spinach, pick the spinach taking out the yellow leaves and the stems then wash the leaves in salted cold water, 2 or 3 times depending on how dirty the the spinach is. Take a knob of butter and put into a hot pan, wait until the butter has melted and then add your spinach and cook quickly to keep the green colour ( if you cook too much it will go a browny colour)

Put your red wine into a pan, bring to the boil, and then reduce the red wine by 2/3rds, then add the beef jus (stock) that you would have ready, reduce again until you get the consistency you are happy with – ideally the consistency that you are looking for is a thickly coating that when you dip your spoon into it, it will coat the spoon.

Take the beef tails and cut into even sizes, season evenly then fry in a very hot fry pan, getting an even colour all-round. Pop the beef into the oven, depending on how you like your beef depends on the length of time you leave it in.

Dressing the plate
Place the spinach on the bottom of the plate, put the beef medallions on top of the spinach, and then place the mushrooms over and around the plate. Taking the lovely reduced red wine sauce, pour around the beef sauce and serve.