Steak Oscar

For the steak:

filet mignon, about 5-6 ounce portions, if available

salt and pepper, to taste

butter, for searing

olive oil, for searing

butter / oil

Season the steak with salt and pepper on both sides. Melt about a tablespoon or two of butter in a heavy bottom or cast-iron pan. Add a generous drizzle of oil. Sear the steak on both sides until well caramelized, about 3-4 minutes for a medium-rare. You can finish the steak in a hot oven (about 400-425˚F if you like your steak a little more cooked.) Allow to rest for a few minutes before carving.

For serving:

asparagus spears, end trimmed, blanched in salty water until tender crisp

For the Crab Salad:

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked through for shell fragments

¼ cup celery, small diced

1 tablespoon shallots, small diced

zest from 1 lemon

1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped

Mix together everything for the crab salad. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed, adding a little more lemon, dill or salt, if desired.

For the Bearnaise:

½ cup champagne or white vinegar

1-2 sprigs tarragon

1 bay leaf

3-4 black peppercorns

2 egg yolks

kosher salt

4-6 ounces butter, as needed

water, if needed

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

Combine the vinegar, tarragon, bay leaf and peppercorns in a small pot. Bring to a simmer and allow it to reduce to ½ of the way down. Remove and let cool. Strain. Combine the egg yolks and vinegar reduction in a tall-sided container, season with a pinch of salt. Blend with an immersion blender. Slowly stream in the butter while blending to emulsify the bearnaise. If the mixture becomes too thick, stream in a little water to thin. Taste for seasoning. Fold in freshly chopped tarragon at the end.

To serve, top the steak with a spoonful of crab salad, spoon bearnaise over the top. Serve with a couple spears of asparagus on the side.

Steak Oscar

About The Author

Michelle Bernstein