Filet Mignon for New Years Eve

For New Years Eve 2023, we visited my sister and her family and we repeated our long-standing tradition of cooking filet mignon for our New Years Eve dinner, usually just for David and me before we went to a party, if any. The recipe for the mushroom-onion sauce varied every year and depended on the whims of the cook and the available flavorings. Usually there was wine or fruity jams involved. This year, we adapted our recipe to my sister’s cupboard and came up with this version. Quantities are approximate since we were making it up as we cooked.

We used a non-stick saute pan for the first time. We used to use our cast iron skillets and Jenn-Air stove top grill, but those tools are gone, given away or part of the house we sold.

Recommended extras

• Mashed potatoes
• Steamed Broccoli
• Chopped scallions for garnish, green part only

Ingredients

Serves 4.

Part 1 ingredients

• 1/2 cup white wine
• 8-10 dried apricots (you’ll need more for part 2)

Part 2 ingredients:

• 1 lb mushrooms
• 8-10 more dried apricots
• 2 med onions
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• olive oil
• 3-4 tbsp soy sauce, to taste
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 4 filet mignon portions

Directions

Part 1

Prep the apricot-wine the night before or in the morning.

1. Chop 8 or 9 apricots.
2. Soak in white wine overnight.

Part 2

Get ready for a delicious dinner!

1. Slice mushrooms, thin or thick – your preference.
2. Chop onions. You could do minced or quartered, sliced, and cut in half for 2-inch strings.
3. Chop the rest of the apricots, approximately 8-10 fruits.
4. Saute onions and minced garlic in olive oil.
5. Add mushrooms and saute until liquidy.
6. Remove the soaked apricot pieces from the white wine, if desired, and discard. (They have probably become tasteless.)
7. Add the apricot-infused white wine to the pan.
8. Add soy sauce, mustard, and freshly chopped apricots. Stir well, then taste and adjust flavorings as needed.
9. Pre-heat oven broiler, with rack in the middle of the oven. (Or, use whatever setting your oven recommends for broiling the thickness of your meat.)
10. Make space in the saute pan and brown each side of the filets.
11. Insert meat thermometer. Set it for 143 degrees Fahrenheit for medium rare.
12. Put meat in broiler.
13. Cook on side 1 until temp is about 110 deg F.
14. Turn meat and cook until 143 deg.F.

Serve with a garnish with chopped scallions, mashed potatoes, and broccoli, or other dishes of your choice, of course.