Wall Street Journal Taught Me How to Make Perfectly Cooked Steak

I came across a recipe on how to make a Perfectly Cooked Steak in Wall Street Journal. The recipe was prepared by chef Laurent Tourondel of BLT (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) restaurant in New York. I printed it out and put it in my kitchen folder for a while. This weekend I tried making the whole course set (steak, creamed spinach and mushroom) and I have to say I am satisfied with the result. The mushroom recipe was surprisingly good, now I know why those porcinis are nicknamed hen of the woods, it tasted like young chicken or hen.

I had 2004 Big House Red that I bought for $7.99 from Whole Foods with the meal. It was pretty good match, not to mention that the wine was good value.

So pleasantly surprised how WSJ could teach me how to make perfect steak too, besides the perfect portfolio. :)

The WSJ version requires subscription. Here's a link to a free version from Charlotte observer.

Note: I had about 1 inch steak and cooked it in the oven for 10 minutes after searing (Recipe said 14 minutes for 1 1/2 inch steak for rare/medium rare). I was aiming for medium rare, but it ended up medium well so I would constantly monitor the steak to check for doneness. But the recipe (or Chef Tourondel should I say) discourages from sticking a thermometer because it will let the juices run out.

Poulet Vallee d'Auge

One of the things I do when I have too much time to spare is cooking. I think I can get better bang for my buck by getting good ingredients at Whole Foods and cook my own gourmet meals rather than paying the premium that restaurants charge. Furthermore, I learn something new every time I cook.

One of my favorite meal is Poulet Vallee d'Auge. There are many recipes for this classic Normandy dish, but my favorite is this one from cooking.com. My fiancee called this my signature dish. Aftercooking this many times, I learned that the secret is using a flat skillet and not to use too much apple cider, because if not the sauce tend to separate easily between the oil based cream and juice and the water based cider. I buy clarified butter from Whole Foods rather than making it myself as described in the recipe.