Fillet of Beef with Cornichon Tarragon Sauce
Roasted beef tenderloin served with a French-style white wine cornichon tarragon sauce finished with Dijon mustard butter. A classic dinner-party main that cooks in under 25 minutes.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
1 hrsHigh-heat roasting is the shortcut that makes a whole beef tenderloin practical for a weeknight, even if it feels like a special-occasion dish. 23 minutes at 550°F (290°C) hits medium-rare on a properly tied fillet, and the 15-minute rest under foil lets the juices redistribute so slicing doesn’t drain them onto the board.
The sauce is where this dish leaves the realm of steakhouse and enters French bistro territory. Shallots and tarragon reduce in dry white wine to concentrate flavor, cream adds body, and cornichons julienned into thin matchsticks bring the sharp vinegar punch that cuts through the richness of the beef.
Mustard butter whisked in at the end emulsifies the sauce without letting it break. The cardinal rule: never boil a finished butter-mount sauce. It splits and you lose the silky texture.
Chef Tips
- Let the tenderloin come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before roasting. Cold beef cooks unevenly.
- Tie the roast with kitchen twine at even intervals. An untied tenderloin cooks to different doneness along its length.
- Use a meat thermometer. Pull at 125°F (52°C) for rare, 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare. The temperature rises 5 degrees during the rest.
- Whisk cold cubes of butter, not fully softened butter, into the sauce. Cold butter emulsifies more reliably.
Variations
- Add 2 tablespoons of capers along with the cornichons for extra briny depth.
- Swap tarragon for fresh chervil or a mix of chervil and parsley for a different herb profile.
- Serve with potato gratin and blanched haricots verts for a full French bistro plate.
Ingredients
Directions
Rub the fillet with the oil, season with salt and pepper and, in a large roasting pan, roast in a preheated 550f oven for 23 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 130f for medium rare.
Transfer to a platter and let stand, loosely covered with foil, for 15 minutes.
In a bowl, cream the butter and mustard.
In a large saucepan, combine the shallot, wine, and tarragon and cook the mixture over mod-high heat until wine is reduced to about 1 cup.
Add the cream and cornichons, reduce heat to low, and whisk in the mustard butter, a little at a time, with any meat juices that have accumulated on the platter.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper and keep it warm, but do not boil.
Slice the fillets and nap with sauce.
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