Recently, I have started dreaming recipes. Sometimes I think it is because I go to sleep thinking about a menu, or what I am going to cook next. At other times, these recipes just show up out of nowhere.
I dreamt today’s recipe. I needed a good dish to pair with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape for today’s Provence WineZine post. I drifted off to sleep thinking about recipe ideas. Cutlets and sauces – not sugarplums – danced in my head.
Several hours later I woke from a wonderful dream: I was in Tuscany, and had just created this recipe, and was serving it on beautiful china, set on crisp white linens, with sterling silver and sparkling crystal. Even in my 2:00am fog, I realized it would be perfect for the wine pairing. I turned on my iPad, made notes, and went back to sleep very content.
When I served this meal the other night, I thought to myself, “Wow — dreams really do come true!” All the forces of my subconscious had come together nicely to bring you today’s Bistecca con Crema di Porcini.
~ David
Bistecca con Crema di Porcini
To print the recipe, please click on the small print icon below.
Ingredients
- 20-24 ounces steak of your choice (see notes)
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered shallot (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 tablespoon porcini powder (see notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
- pinch Aleppo pepper or cayenne
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- The Steak: I chose to sous vide my steak and finish it in a cast iron pan on the stove. You can cook your steak by any method – grill, broil, pan sear, sous vide – and to the level of doneness that suits your preferences. I chose to cook my steak to medium rare (130°F in the sous vide bath for 1 hour; it can hold up to 4 hours). For medium, cook at 140°F, for medium well cook at 150°F. I cooked the steak in two pieces, seasoned well with salt and pepper and then vacuum sealed each in its own bag.
- The Sauce: Heat the butter in a small skillet. When bubbling, add shallot powder (see notes) and cook for 1 minute. Add flour, porcini powder, brown sugar, Aleppo (or cayenne) pepper, and a large pinch of salt; cook an additional minute until everything thickens. Then add the cream slowly and simmer, stirring, until thickened. Set aside until serving time, then reheat. A skim will form on the surface but don’t worry — it will incorporate beautifully as you reheat the sauce.
- Slice the steak and fan out onto serving plates, and spoon sauce over. Serve immediately.
- Serves 4.
- Notes:
- • I used a New York strip steak, but it would be great with a rib eye or filet mignon, as well.
- • The sauce is versatile and can be used on chicken, pork, and veal, in addition to beef.
- • For the shallot powder, I pulverized Penzey’s freeze-dried shallots in my spice grinder until they were powdered. I would not suggest onion powder for this recipe, as it would be too harsh. If you can’t get dried shallots, it would be better to sauté a fresh chopped shallot and either purée the mixture or serve it with the cooked chopped shallots, making the sauce a little less smooth.
- • I used the European-style porcini powder from Far West Fungi in San Francisco. You can also make your own by pulverizing dried porcini in a spice grinder.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food I Like Big Reds and I Cannot Lie - Provence WineZine
December 3, 2022 at 3:36 am[…] was right. I created a low-fuss — but very special — dish to serve with the wine. My recipe for Bistecca con Crema di Porcini is on Cocoa & Lavender. The dish, though named in Italian, is equally French (and you will understand its Italian name […]
Gerlinde de Broekert
December 3, 2022 at 8:22 amDavid, the sauce sounds fantastic. We have a FarWest Fungi store here in Santa Cruz. I will stop by there today and buy the powder. It would be great on any sauce . Keep on dreaming up these beautiful dishes.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 5, 2022 at 3:14 pmI really hope your local store has the porcini powder, Gerlinde — it’s an incredible ingredient to have around the house. I use it in all sorts of recipes… I promise I will continue dreaming more beautiful and tasty recipes!
Mad Dog
December 3, 2022 at 8:52 amThat sounds delicious!
I’m not sure if I dream about recipes, but I often dream about eating – particularly foods that I’ve never seen or heard of before. Generally, when I put these imaginary foods in my mouth, the lack of real taste, wakes me up!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 5, 2022 at 3:15 pmWow, that would be terribly disappointing MD! My dreaming of recipes it’s only been happening in the past couple of months. Maybe it’s retirement… My brain is finally clear enough to start having fun.
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
December 3, 2022 at 1:18 pmI saw this on your social media and immediately started salivating! (Well, metaphorically speaking at least…) I know I have to try this lovely sauce. Sounds utterly delicious!
That said, I probably won’t be sous viding my steak. I’ve tried to get into sous vide and I just can’t for some reason. Tried it a few times and got satisfactory results, but I found the whole process cumbersome and frustrating. And time consuming. Just goes against my culinary grain. What’s that they say about teaching an old dog new tricks?
Cocoa & Lavender
December 5, 2022 at 3:15 pmI would never have a sous vide wand unless it was a gift to me. I like the cooking process too much, like you do. I really think you should try the sauce and the steak (whatever way you want to cook it). It’s out of this world.
Eha
December 3, 2022 at 2:20 pmWhat beautiful pictures of perfectly cooked and oh so appetizing steak and the beauty of simple tableware . . . no fuss, no bother ! Must admit I am not used to cooking with powdered ingredients – quite frankly am unaware as to whether our stores keep any – an interesting bit of homework ahead . . . As far as my but seldom dreams go . . . lots of friendly faces around from memory but no recollection of delightful recipes appearing . . .
Ronit
December 3, 2022 at 6:45 pmSuch a lovely and tasty dream!
The steak looks perfect, the sauce sounds delicious, and the dish definitely worthy of the grand wine.
Now I need to get some porcini powder! 🙂
Simone
December 4, 2022 at 1:00 amHahaha, that is such a brilliant way to come up with a recipe. But even more brilliant is you waking up in the middle of the night and writing the idea down. I dream about food all the time, but I’ve never thought to write it down. And you know what happens if you don’t with dreams; they just disappear. Maybe I should place my Ipad next to the bed too! Looking beautiful!
Jeff the Chef
December 4, 2022 at 8:16 amOK, that’s pretty cool. Now I guess the next step would be that you dream the recipe, and the next morning you awaken to find it completely prepared, on your dining room table. 😉 Kidding aside, though, something amazing does happen when you’re sleeping.
Velva
December 4, 2022 at 8:33 amDavid, this looks amazing. Dreaming about food and pairing it with wine (most definitely!!!). May I add the wine selection was lovely…. Food and wine are on my mind often and I love when it comes together.
Velva
susan manfull manfull
December 4, 2022 at 8:48 amYour recipe invites us — me, at least — to try two new ingredients and one new approach! The results certainly encourage finding ( or creating ) those ingredients! It’s always fun to read your posts and now with time to dream…. oh, the places we’ll go!
Do you think the elk tenderloins would work?
Of course, I know the wine was deliciously wonderful!
Sherry M
December 4, 2022 at 2:56 pmthis looks so very delicious david. i really need a plate now, even tho’ it’s only breakfast time. I often have fabulous writing dreams but then when i wake up, my wonderful words have slipped away – sigh …
Barb
December 5, 2022 at 9:46 amI made the sauce and served it with venison steak. It took the venison to the next level! I didn’t have dried shallots, so used a finely minced small shallot that incorporated well into the sauce. Keep on dreaming, please!
Raymund
December 7, 2022 at 6:05 pmI can relate, I do think of menus before I sleep specailly when you are in the blogging world for more than a decade, running out of recipes is a reality 😱
BTW that steak is perfectly cooked!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 9, 2022 at 9:41 amThat is exactly how I feel! Where will the next recipe come from? Just keep trying and trying… And dreaming!
Inger
December 9, 2022 at 9:48 pmGood thing you had you ipad handy to write this down David! I’m going to need to get some dried shallots–yum!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 10, 2022 at 6:42 amThe dried shallots are one 9f my favorite Penzeys items!
John
December 10, 2022 at 2:20 amSuch a wonderfully delicious dream you had, David. The steak looks like perfection!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 10, 2022 at 6:47 amI guess it pays to have an overactive imagination!
Valentina
December 12, 2022 at 5:27 pmHow amazing to be dreaming up recipes, David. LOVE that. I see a book here like “Recipes of my Dreams,” or something much more creative. 🙂 This recipe sounds so delicious and the steak looks absolutely perfect! ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
December 13, 2022 at 8:49 amWell, I think would need several more recipe dreams to make a book… but I love the idea!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
December 14, 2022 at 4:59 pmThat reminds me a story of Mendeleev who, according to his own words, saw the periodic table in a dream! And while your dreams might not result in a scientific discovery, they are definitely delicious!
The-FoodTrotter
December 16, 2022 at 12:23 pmThis meat looks just perfectly tender, I’m drooling! Plus this porcini sauce looks so luscious!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 26, 2022 at 9:14 amIt is honestot one of the most wonderful things I have ever come up with, Romain. In fact, I am making it for dinner again tomorrow night.
Sweet Dreams Are Made of This – Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2023 at 3:06 am[…] I was awakened by a dream about food. This one, though, was even more specific than the one for Bistecca con Crema di Porcini. This dream was about a dessert and included all the parts of the recipe — the crust, the fruit […]