Beef filets with a goose liver sauce and Sichuan pepper

To be served with spinach and potato croquettes, according to the recipe by Chef Marco Sacco of the Piccolo Lago restaurant in Verbania. We suggest pairing this with a Brunello di Montalcino 2016 La Fortuna.

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 120g beef filets about 10cm long and 3cm thick, Sichuan pepper and salt.

For the goose liver sauce: 120g cream and 27g liver mousse.

For the spinach: 80g spinach and salt.

For 30 potato croquettes: 1kg potatoes, 1 egg yolk, 10g bread crumbs, 5g soft clarified butter, salt, pepper and frying oil.

For the croquette breading: 5 whole eggs and 500g bread crumbs.

Directions:

For the potato croquettes: Cut up the potatoes into cubes and cook them in a steam oven at 90°C for around 35 minutes. Sift through a fine sieve in order to eliminate any lumps.

Mix the potatoes and the egg yolk in a bowl together with the bread crumbs and soft clarified butter and season with salt and pepper. Use an ice cream scoop to create the right number of balls.

Flatten and shape the croquettes and prepare everything needed for the breading.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and spread out the bread crumbs on a flat surface. Dip the croquettes first in the eggs and then cover them in the bread crumbs. Repeat this operation at least twice.

For the goose liver sauce: reduce the cream at a low heat to obtain the desired consistency. Blend the liver mousse in a mixer then add the reduced cream and blend for around 3 minutes to obtain a creamy, homogenous sauce.

For the spinach: sauté the spinach in a hot pan and salt to taste.

To finish: braze the filets on all sides and then cut each filet into three equal-sized cubes. Finely grid a pinch of Sichuan pepper on the top of each cube. In the meantime, fry the potato croquettes in abundant oil.

Put three tuffs of spinach on each plate. Place the beef cubes on top and the croquettes on the side. Cover the meat with the sauce and add a little salt and pepper.

Wine to pair: 

Brunello di Montalcino 2016 La Fortuna

With dark fruit, underbrush and light spicy notes. The mouth is fresh, elegant and juicy, with flavors of blackberry and licorice, immediate but smooth tannins. Medium body, light progression, good final with great persistence.

Production area: Montalcino (SI)

Grape varieties: 100% Sangiovese, average age of vines in production 20-30 years.

Grape harvest: manual picking 20 - 30 September

Vinification: thermoconditioned and unleavened fermentation for about 8 days. 25 days on the skins. Ageing 40 months in 25 Hl Slavonian oak barrels and refinement in bottle 9 months before release on the market.

Alcohol content: 14.50%. 

Serving temperature: 16-18°C

Recommended food pairings: Roasted, stewed and braised meat and game dishes, such as wild boar, duck or guinea fowl. It also pairs well with first courses rich in sauces such as fresh pasta with meat sauce. It is also always good with aged cheese.

THIS RECIPE IS OFFERED BY LA FORTUNA

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