Steak au Poivre

Happy 3 month birthday to Heath!  The last few months have been like a blink of an eye and we can't believe he's growing up so fast!

He loves to see everything that's going on - especially at the dinner table.  And this was an especially good dinner to watch us eat!  Here's another pretty quick recipe from Food & Wine.

INGREDIENTS
Three 1-pound, bone-in rib eye steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick
Kosher salt
Coarsely crushed black peppercorns
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1/3 cup brandy
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

Season the steaks with salt and black peppercorns and let stand for 45 minutes.

In a cast-iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the oil. Working in batches, cook the steaks over moderately high heat, turning once, until medium-rare, 7 minutes per batch; transfer to a board and let rest.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 2 minutes. Add the brandy and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, 3 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until slightly thickened, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Season the sauce with salt.

Slice the steak and transfer to plates or a platter. Spoon the sauce on top and serve.

HEATH UPDATE...
What a difference a month makes:

And he even has a favorite book!

It's such a joy watching him grow.  I can't imagine how big he's going to be in just another 3 months!

Seared Wahoo with Avocado and Salsa Verde

Always in an effort to cook with more sustainable seafood, Michael followed the suggestion of Barton Seaver to substitute wahoo for tuna.  I had never heard of Wahoo but I love the name, it's sustainable, and it tastes great!

Here's a fast and delicious recipe from Food & Wine for a hot, summer night!

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons drained capers
1 clove garlic, smashed
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
4 wahoo steaks, about 1 inch thick (about 2 pounds in all)
1 avocado, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Put the parsley, capers, garlic, lemon juice, anchovy paste, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper into a food processor. Pulse to chop, six to eight times. With the machine running, add the 1/2 cup oil in a thin stream to make a coarse puree. Leave the sauce in the food processor and, if necessary, pulse to re-emulsify just before serving.

Heat a grill pan or heavy cast-iron pan over moderately high heat. Rub the wahoo steaks all over with the 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook the fish for 3 minutes. Turn and cook until done to your taste, 3 to 4 minutes longer for medium rare. To serve, top the wahoo steaks with the avocado and drizzle with the sauce.

AND HERE'S SOME HEATH PHOTOS!  He is smiling and babbling all the time now and he is just a joy to wake up to every morning.  He's growing up to be quite the charmer!