Porcini Butter Great On Steak Or Scallops Food

PAN SEARED STEAK WITH PORCINI AND HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• To a small mixing bowl, add half of the dried porcini mushrooms. Pour boiling water over the mushrooms, cover, and let sit about 10 minutes, until mushrooms are soft.
• Strain out mushrooms and press with a paper towel to press out the extra liquid.
• Slice mushrooms and set aside.
• Add remaining dry mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until they are turned into mushroom powder.
• To the food processor, add the butter, salt, thyme, parsley and half the sliced mushrooms. Pulse until well blended.
• Remove butter to a sheet of plastic wrap. Mix in remaining sliced mushrooms and roll into a log, twisting the ends to seal. Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour, until firm.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
• Liberally season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper and set aside to rest.
• Over MED-HIGH heat, heat a large cast iron skillet (or oven proof pan) and add olive oil and butter.
• Carefully place both steaks in the skillet, leaving room between the two. Once the steaks are in the pan, do NOT move them. Cook for 4 minutes, turn steaks over and cook another 4 minutes. If you try to flip the steaks and they are sticking to the pan, it means the steaks aren't ready to flip yet. Give them another 20-30 seconds and try again.
• Remove pan from the heat, add garlic and thyme and slide pan carefully into the oven.
• Bake about 5 minutes, then check doneness with a meat thermometer.
• Once steak reaches desired doneness (about 135-140 for medium rare), remove from the oven.
• Spoon pan juices over the top of the steak, add a pat or two of the compound butter, and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Serve with an additional pat of compound butter, caramelized onions, and additional fresh thyme if desired.

PORCINI BUTTER

Steps:

• Finely chop garlic. In a small bowl soak porcini in boiling-hot water 20 minutes. Remove porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. Rinse porcini to remove any grit and finely chop. Line a sieve set over a small saucepan with a dampened paper towel and pour reserved soaking liquid through it. Add porcini and garlic to saucepan and simmer mixture until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Cool mixture.
• In a bowl with a fork mash together butter, porcini mixture, and salt and pepper to taste until combined well. Transfer butter to a sheet of wax paper and roll into a 6-inch log. Butter may be kept, covered and chilled, 2 days or frozen, wrapped in foil, 1 month. Bring butter to room temperature before using.
• Variations:
• Here are a few compound butters we find particularly versatile. Using the basic technique of mashing together butter and flavoring in the recipe above, and with a little imagination, you can create your own favorites.
• • Beurre maître d'hôtel: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
• • Truffle butter: 1 small black winter truffle or 2 small black summer truffles, chopped fine
• • Roquefort butter: 3 tablespoons crumbled Roquefort (only 1/2 stick butter needed for this variation)

PORCINI-CRUSTED FILET MIGNON WITH FRESH HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl for herb butter. Season butter to taste with salt and pepper. Process dried porcini mushrooms in spice grinder to fine powder. Transfer powder to plate. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Press steaks into porcini powder to coat both sides well.
• Melt 2 tablespoons herb butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to plates. Spoon rounded tablespoon of herb butter atop each steak and serve.

PORCINI-RUBBED STEAK

Steps:

• Whizz the mushrooms into a fine powder in a small food processor or coffee grinder. Mix with a good pinch of salt, pepper and the thyme leaves. Rub the mixture all over the steaks, then pop onto a plate or into a sealable kitchen bag and chill overnight.
• Brush away any excess mixture. Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot. Turn the heat to medium, then smear a little olive oil over one side of each steak. Griddle, oiled side down, for 3 mins. Turn over (there's no need to oil the other side), then cook for another 2 mins for medium-rare. Serve with a baked potato and a wintery salad.