Filet Oscar and Twice Baked Potatoes

Filet Oscar and Twice Baked Potato Dish Guide

Serves 2

For the Filet Oscar

Two 8 oz Filet mignon

8 Oz lump crabmeat

1 bunch of green asparagus

1 medium shallot, finely minced

2 egg yolks

¼ cup dry white wine

¼ cup white vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 bunch tarragon

5-6 black peppercorns (optional)

1 cup (two sticks) of unsalted butter

1-2 t fresh lemon juice (to taste)

1 T fresh chives to garnish

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil

For the Twice Baked Potato

2 medium russets, washed and cleaned

2 T olive oil

2-3 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 oz grated Cheddar cheese

2-3 green onions, diced

¼ to ½ cup sour cream depending on taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 t Paprika

Plan to give yourself about 90 minutes to make this meal (or more if you’re a less confident cook – but you can do it!).

Cook 2-3 strips of bacon by the method of your choosing.

T-90:00 Season your filets generously with salt on all sides making sure to press the salt into the surface of the steak so that it sticks to it. Leave the steaks out for about half an hour to let them warm up a bit if they were just in the fridge.

T-85:00 Poke holes in your potatoes with a fork and rub them generously with olive oil and season with salt. Cook in an air fryer at 400 for 45 minutes or until they give when you squeeze them. Alternatively use a toaster oven or instant pot. If your oven is the only one you have then cook the potatoes first then turn the oven down to 250 and let it cool slightly before adding the steak. Cover the potatoes and keep warm if you don’t cook them concurrently.

T-65:00 Put the steaks in the oven about an hour before you want to eat. Monitor the internal temperature with a trusty digital thermometer until it is cooked to your desired temperature. Rare/Medium rare should take about 45-55 minutes.

T-60:00 Mince the shallot and it along with the wine, vinegar, tarragon and peppercorns to a small sauce pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes over medium low heat until almost all of the liquid has evaporated leaving a T or so. Remove the peppercorns and tarragon from the mixture and spoon out the shallot and remaining liquid into a bowl to rest.

T-50:00 Prepare the asparagus for cooking. Trim the bottom 2” off and place in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

T-45:00 Remove cooked potatoes and let cool until you can handle them. In the meantime, crumble your cooked bacon, shred your cheddar cheese, slice your green onions and measure out your sour cream.

T-30:00 Carefully cut the top off of the potatoes, angling the tip of the knife so you are only taking a small sliver of the top off and not an entire quarter of the potato (video provides better visual context). Carefully scoop all of the potato flesh from the potato and the top skin you cut off into a large bowl. Add the green onions, sour cream, cheese and bacon and season with salt and pepper. Mash with a masher or fork and combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Scoop the potato filling into the empty skins and mound it up to make the potato look “stuffed” (it will be…). Sprinkle on paprika and add more cheese if desired. Cook for an additional 5 minutes in the air fryer or 10 in a regular oven (you can put them in with your asparagus).

Before the second bake.

T-20:00 Check your steak and remove it from the oven when it reaches your desired temperature (125-130 F is ideal for us). Once the steak is out, cover it to keep war, and turn the oven to 400 and add the asparagus. Cook until just tender, 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the stalk.

T-15:00 in a small pot or microwave, melt ¾ cup (1.5 US sticks) and bring it up just to a simmer. Add the shallots and reduction to a deep narrow vessel (if you’re using an immersion blender it probably came with one) or a full size blender. Add the two egg yolks, lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Turn on the blender and drizzle in the butter, blending constantly. The sauce should form almost immediately. Blend until homogenous and taste for seasoning. Set aside and keep warm.

T-10:00​ Add a T of butter to a pan over medium heat. Add the crab meat and season lightly with salt and cook until just warmed through. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

T-5:00​ Add a T butter and 2 T olive oil to the pan after you remove the crab. Turn heat to medium high. Once just smoking, add the steaks giving them a slight press to ensure full contact with the pan. Cook on the first side for 60-90 seconds. Flip, season with fresh cracked pepper and cook the second side for 60-90 seconds.

T-0:00​ Place a potato and steak on the plate. Lay several asparagus spears on top of the steak. Top with a mound of crab meat. Spoon on the béarnaise. Garnish with chives or tarragon and serve immediately.