Classic Janni Kyritsis Beef

This is a dish was described in the last paragraph of the page on Janni, in Mietta O'Donnell's "Great Australian Chefs" , as a classic dish. It was on the menu at Berowra Waters , Bennelong and MG Garage.

It is a dish that shows the versatility of the Thermomix as it can be wholly produced from base ingredients in the machine. It is almost as if Janni had created the dish for the Thermomix.

Many may not know of Janni Kyritsis, photographed above after lunch service at MG Garage, the week before he retired from full time work as a chef. He can be seen in the July edition of Australian Gourmet Traveller with Stephanie Alexander in France. Janni has produced a cookbook "Wild Weed Pie" in which this recipe appears. I recommend the book, but to get a quick, non-Thermomix version you can check out Janni's recipe online.

The dish requires some preparation, but is not beyond the home cook, like myself. One of the biggest positives is that most of the preparation is done a day or so before service. This is a dish to have for a relaxed dinner party while impressing the guests, especially when you know the history of it.

Janni says that it is "Australian beef flavoured with Mediterranean tapenade, wrapped around English bone marrow dumpling, served on spinach wilted in an Asian wok, with a classic French Madeira sauce, and all created by a Greek chef who used to be an electrician." Well, I didn't use the wok, but now you can also say that is can be prepared in a German machine by a . . . .(insert Nationality and profession here).

Please share it with friends and honour Janni.

Steamed Fillet of Beef in a Bone-Marrow Dumpling
With Tapenade & Madeira Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

600 g piece of beef fillet, trimmed from centre of large piece
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
400 g baby spinach
30 g butter
Freshly ground nutmeg
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Tapenade:
125 g black olives, pitted (nicoise)
25 g drained anchovy fillets
25 g small salted capers, blanched
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon strained lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 firmly packed cup basil leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
30 g fresh breadcrumbs (prepared as per TM book)

Bone Marrow Dumpling:
75 g clean bone marrow (I got it from some beef shin and used the meat to make osso buco in the slow cooker)
150 g fresh breadcrumbs (prepared as per TM book)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
60ml 35%-fat cream
1/2 tablespoon chives
1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Madeira Sauce:
1/2 cup dry Madeira
1/2 cup veal glaze
Pinch ground allspice
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Method:

Start with cleaning the bone marrow by leaving it in salt water in the fridge for 2 days if possible.

Two days before, make the tapenade by firstly placing the garlic into TM bowl and chopping for 3 – 5 seconds on speed 7. Scrape down the sides of TM bowl and add all the remaining ingredients except olive oil and breadcrumbs. Process for 10 seconds on speed 7. Set to speed 4 and, while blades are running, gradually add the olive oil to form a paste. Finally add the breadcrumbs and process for 5 seconds at speed 3 to incorporate. Refrigerate until required.

To make the bone marrow dumpling mixture, pass the bone marrow through a fine sieve to remove any spicules of bone. Keep 50g of the marrow and blend for 20 seconds at speed 7 before adding the herbs. Process for 5 – 10 seconds on speed 7 until herbs have been chopped. Add remaining ingredients and process for 10 seconds at speed 3 to combine. Do not over process. Divide dumpling mixture into 4 portions and refrigerate.

Cut tenderloin into 4 pieces and sprinkle with the allspice and pepper. Spread 1 ½ teaspoons of tapenade on each end of the fillet. Place a piece of plastic film on the bench and spread a piece of the dumpling mixture out into a 3cm wide strip that will be long enough to just enclose the piece of fillet. Place a piece of the fillet on the dumpling at one end and roll so that the dumpling encloses the fillet with tapenade exposed at each end. Roll very tightly in the plastic film and twist ends like a bonbon. Wrap each of these in some aluminium foil twisting the ends to close tightly.



Place these in the refrigerator overnight (or at least a few hours).





When ready for service remove the fillet parcels from the refrigerator and leave for about 20 minutes to reach room temperature.

To make the Madeira sauce, place the Madeira in the Thermomix bowl. Set to 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 4. The Madeira should be reduced by half. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes at 100°C on speed 2. Remove from bowl into container to keep warm.



Without cleaning Thermomix bowl, add 750ml water, replace lid and position Varoma. Place parcels in Varoma and cover with lid. Set to 20 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 3. Test beef by inserting a metal skewer into the centre of the beef. Leave it there for a count of 10 and then touch against your skin just under your bottom lip. For medium-rare it should feel warm. Steam for another 5 – 10 minutes if needed to reach desired state. Place in Thermosever to keep warm for 5 minutes.

While Thermomix is still warm place spinach in the Varoma and set for 5 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 4. Remove spinach when wilted and mix through butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Take the rested beef and unwrap from the foil. Using a very sharp knife, cut the beef in half across the grain of the beef. Place with cut side down on a spatula and remove plastic film. Turn fillet over and place in centre of plates. Surround with some spinach to hold bone marrow dumpling in place. Pour some sauce over beef and spinach.