Christmas Dinner

Menu:
Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish Cream-Gourmet, October 2004
Potatoes Dauphinois Madame Laracine-Bistro Cooking, Patricia Wells
Steamed Green Beans
Citron Fromage

Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish Cream

This Christmas we decided to change up the menu a bit. We all agreed that this recipe was fantastic! It is the new Christmas dinner meal!
A few notes :
1. We made the sauce ahead of time..it takes a lot longer to reduce than the recipe says. We then refrigerated it and then brought it out to come to room temp a few hours before serving. To thin it out a bit, I microwaved the sauce on 50% power for 15-30seconds. This is a thick sauce.
2. If you like your beef medium to medium rare, I recommend you take it out of the oven at 125 degrees F.
3. Use about half the amount of black pepper...it will have enough kick!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/230745

For sauce
1 head garlic (1/4 lb; about 2 1/2 inches in diameter), left intact
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup drained bottled horseradish
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

For tenderloin
1 (3-lb) center-cut beef tenderloin roast, tied
1/2 cup cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons granulated beef bouillon
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika (not hot)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Special equipment: a roasting pan with a rack; an instant-read thermometer

Directions:
Make sauce:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Cut off and discard top fourth of garlic head. Drizzle exposed garlic with oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then wrap head tightly in foil. Roast garlic until tender, about 1 1/4 hours, then open foil and cool. While garlic roasts, simmer cream in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 20 to 25 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Squeeze garlic into a small bowl, discarding skins, and mash together with horseradish, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt using a fork. Stir garlic mixture into cream, then chill until ready to use.
Roast tenderloin:
Increase oven temperature to 475°F. Pat tenderloin dry. Stir together pepper, bouillon, salt, cornstarch, oregano, garlic powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Rub oil all over tenderloin, then sprinkle with spice mixture, rubbing it into meat. Put tenderloin on rack in roasting pan and roast 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 425°F and cook until thermometer inserted diagonally into center of meat registers 130°F, 20 to 25 minutes for medium-rare. Let beef stand on rack in pan 10 minutes before serving. Cut beef into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with garlic horseradish cream.
Cooks' note: Garlic can be roasted and squeezed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Potatoes Dauphinois
3 pounds baking potatoes, such as russets, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 cups whole milk
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 imported bay leaves
Freshly ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
2 cups (about 5 ounces) freshly grated Gruyére cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with the milk and 2 cups of water. Add the garlic, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so that the potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring from time to time, until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer half of the potatoes to a large, 14- by 9- by 2-inch gratin dish. Sprinkle with the nutmeg, pepper, half the creme fraiche, and half the cheese. Cover with the remaining potatoes, and sprinkle again with nutmeg, pepper, and the remaining creme fraiche and cheese.

Bake, uncovered, until the gratin is crisp and golden on top, about 1 hour. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Citron Fromage (Lemon Mousse)

Juice and rind of 2 large lemons
1 level Tbsp powdered gelatin
3 eggs
4 oz caster sugar
¼ pint double cream
Garnish:
¼ pint whipping cream

Sprinkle the gelatine over 2 tbsp of water in a small pan and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a large bowl and the whites into another. Finely grate the rind from the lemons, and mix it into the egg yolks, together with the sugar. Squeeze the lemons and strain the juice into the soaked gelatine. Place the saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously. Do not allow to boil, and once the gelatine has dissolved immediately remove the pan from the heat. Whisk the eggs yolks and sugar until pale and creamy. Slowly pour in the dissolved gelatine, whisking all the time. Continue to whisk the mixture until it is cool and beginning to thicken. Lightly beat the double cream and fold into the mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then blend them in evenly and lightly. Spoon the mousse into a serving dish or individual dishes and chill until set. Pipe whipped cream over mousse.