Name: Madeira Pan Sauce with Mustard and Anchovies
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4 (Makes 2/3 cup, enough for 4 steaks)
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 large shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons); 1 cup Madeira or sherry; 2 anchovy fillets, minced to paste (about 1 teaspoon); 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Why This Recipe Works

The goal in developing our filet mignon recipe was to replicate the best restaurant filet at home, with a rich, brown crust and a tender interior, topped with a luscious pan sauce. To cook our filets perfectly, inside and out, we pan-seared evenly cut, well-dried filets in a 10-inch heavy-bottomed skillet, then transferred the meat to a hot oven. Finishing the steak in the oven prevented the fond—the richly flavored brown bits in the bottom of the pan—from burning and gave us time to start the sauce, which we made in minutes while the steaks were in the oven.

Before You Begin

If you do not have Madeira on hand, sherry makes a fine substitute.

Instructions

After transferring steaks to oven, set skillet over medium-low heat; add shallot and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 1 minute. Add Madeira; increase heat to high, and scrape pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. (If steaks are not yet out of oven, set skillet off heat and wait for steaks to come out of oven and rest for 2 minutes before proceeding.) Add accumulated juices from baking sheet and reduce liquid 1 minute longer. Off heat, whisk in anchovies, parsley, thyme, mustard, lemon juice, and butter until butter has melted and sauce is slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste, spoon sauce over steaks, and serve immediately.