Filet mignon with a chestnut cream sauce to fancy up your next dinner party

Filet mignon with chestnut cream sauce. It just sounds fancy, doesn’t it?

But don’t get intimidated. This recipe for a buttery filet that melts in your mouth is totally doable — and the sauce is just the icing on the cake, so to speak. Whip it up at your next dinner party, and your guests will officially crown you the queen of the kitchen.

More: How to save your overcooked meat so you can still eat dinner anyway

Filet mignon with chestnut cream sauce recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1/2 carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 pound chestnuts, roasted and peeled
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
• 6 filet mignons
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sweat the shallots, celery, carrots and garlic until tender. Add the chestnuts and deglaze the pan with red wine.
2. Add the chicken stock and allow the sauce to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
3. Puree the ingredients in a blender and return to the pan. Stir in the heavy cream and add more as needed to reach the desired sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the filets with a generous amount of salt and pepper. When the oil is shimmering, sear both sides of the meat. Once seared, place the pan in the oven and finish cooking the steaks until they reach the desired level of doneness.
5. Serve with the sauce.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Originally published December 2012. Updated January 2017.