Pork Tenderloin en Croute

I first made this recipe years ago, back when the Food Network was enjoyable and I watched Sara Moulton religiously. Emeril's show always followed hers, so sometimes I caught it, back in the days before DVR allowed such control over my television viewing. His recipes never disappoint and this one is no exception. It's a nice spin on Beef Wellington, a much cheaper version! Mine took longer than the recipe called for in the oven, the puff pastry wasn't nearly done after 20 minutes, it took a good ten minutes more.




Pork Tenderloin en Croute

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound assorted mushrooms, stems trimmed, wiped clean, and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloins
1 tablespoon Essence (I used Tony Chacheres)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 sheet prepared puff pastry, thawed if frozen
1/4 cup Creole mustard or any whole-grain mustard
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons of water to make an egg wash

To make the mushroom stuffing, in a large, heavy skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are wilted and begin to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan and until the liquid has almost all evaporated and the mixture is tight, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat. Let cool completely before using.

Season the pork tenderloins with the Essence.

Heat the oil in a skillet or Dutch oven large enough to hold the tenderloins over medium-high heat. Add the tenderloins and reduce the heat to medium. Sear evenly on all sides and cook, turning frequently. Remove pork from the pan and cool for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 12 by 18-inch rectangle. Place the pork tenderloins on 1/2 of the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Evenly coat the tenderloins on all sides with the mustard.

Pack the cooled mushroom mixture around the pork tenderloins. Brush a 1/2-inch border of egg wash on the pastry around the meat. Gently pull the remaining pastry over the meat to completely enclose, and press gently to seal. With a small knife cut away the excess pastry to make an even border and crimp the pastry edges with a fork dipped in flour. Make a small slit in the top of the pastry for steam to vent.

Carefully transfer the tenderloin to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the pastry evenly with egg wash. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan. Bake until golden brown and an instant read thermometer reaches 140 degrees F, an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minute before serving.

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Chicken Pot Pie

C's favorite dish that I make is Chicken Pot Pie. He's had a rough week, so with that and the cool front that blew in over the weekend, I decided to make it on Monday night. I pulled a lot of the recipe from Ina Garten and adapted it to make it easier and to suit my tastes more. I don't always use the egg wash, it really isn't super necessary.

Over the years of making this, I have found that canned broth works much better than homemade stock, which is too fatty with all the fat that is in there. I also get lazy and don't cut the puff pastry into a round, plus that leaves more yummy puff pastry for eating!

Chicken Pot Pie

½ cup butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 cup flour
1 pint of cream (or half and half)
1 ½ cans of chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
¾ lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 russet potato, cut into bite sized pieces
10 oz package of mixed frozen vegetables
1 sheet of puff pastry
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 375. Boil potatoes in a small saucepan for 10 minutes. Melt ½ cup butter in a Dutch oven with the garlic and shallot. After the shallot has softened, whisk in the flour a ¼ cup at a time (you may not need all of the flour). When completely mixed in, add the cream, whisking more to incorporate into the roux. Add 1 ½ cans of chicken broth. Continue whisking; add the bay leaf, the parsley, the tarragon, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and chicken, let cook for 10-15 minutes on the stovetop to cook the chicken and thicken the sauce, stirring the whole time. Add the package of frozen mixed veggies (I use the peas, carrots, corn, green beans and lima beans mixture) and stir to incorporate. Pour entire mixture into a large, round casserole or soufflé dish. Roll out a sheet of puff pastry and cut a circle a bit larger than the soufflé dish. Place the pastry on overtop of the dish and crimp the edges, make sure to make a couple of slits in the top to let air out. Brush with an egg wash. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes until the mixture starts to bubble and the pastry looks golden brown. Place a cookie sheet under the casserole to catch overflow and make it easier to remove the pot pie.

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