Tournedos Rossini is a luxurious French dish that brings together tender filet mignon, rich foie gras, and a touch of Armagnac for a truly indulgent experience. Served over a bed of warm sautéed spinach, each bite combines savoury, buttery, and earthy flavours, making it perfect for a romantic dinner or special occasion at home.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Tournedos Rossini
To get the most out of this elegant dish, use a high-quality Armagnac for deglazing, which will add depth and complements the foie gras. For tender, juicy meat, add salt after cooking to prevent the steaks from losing moisture in the pan. Let the meat rest under foil for 5 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to distribute evenly, giving it extra tenderness. For a slight twist, consider adding a sprinkle of truffle salt at the end to give some extra depth to the flavours.
Why’s It Called Tournedos Rossini ?
The history of Tournedos Rossini is as rich as the dish itself. It was created in honour of the famous Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, who was a food-lover and a regular at the best French restaurants of his time. As the story goes Rossini asked for a special dish with his favourite ingredients - filet mignon, foie gras and truffle and this luxurious combination became known as Tournedos Rossini. The recipe and presentation may vary but the essentials remain the same, it’s a timeless classic of French cuisine.
What to drink with Tournedos Rossini ?
For wine pairings a full bodied red like a Bordeaux or a Burgundy will go well with the richness of the foie gras and the tender steak. The earthy notes of a Burgundy will bring out the flavours in the spinach and foie gras, while a Bordeaux will give structure and depth that will go perfectly with the Armagnac reduction.
Preparation time
20 min
Ingredients For
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2 about 200g each
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2 around 60g each
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400 g
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20 g
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Preparation
1
Prepare the sautéed spinach:
- Wash the spinach leaves, discarding any fibrous stems.
- In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the fresh spinach and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, then set aside and keep warm.
2
Cook the steaks:
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Season the fillet steaks with pepper.
- Sear the steaks for about 1 minute on each side, then continue to cook for roughly 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Reduce the cooking time if you prefer the meat rare.
- Remove the steaks from the pan and set them aside under foil or parchment paper.
- Deglaze the pan with the Armagnac, reducing it by half, and set this reduction aside.
3
Cook the foie gras:
- Heat a pan without adding oil or fat, and sear the foie gras escalopes for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Set aside on some kitchen roll to absorb excess oil.
4
Assembly:
Arrange a bed of sautéed spinach on each plate, then top with the fillet steak and foie gras. Drizzle the Armagnac reduction over the top, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
