I'm making a Fennel and Rosemary encrusted Beef tenderloin with a Dijon cream sauce. My guests are low/no carb. Looking amazing salad suggestion?

Beef tenderloin is covered with ground fennel, fresh rosemary, fresh ground pepper and sea salt. The cream sauce is dijon mustard, creme fraiche and fresh lemon juice. Want a hearty salad to that accents the beef. Wine suggestions would be super helpful too!

shea
  • Posted by: shea
  • January 8, 2016
  • 2487 views
  • 14 Comments

14 Comments

aargersi January 12, 2016
I agree that a raw fennel salad to echo the fennel seeds sounds pretty darn good - I am kinda stuck on fennel, blood orange and red onion salads lately - soak the onions in cold water to take the bite outt, and I dress them simply in good olive oil, a dash of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and some minced fennel frond. It's not heart but beef IS hearty so, maybe yes?

My suggestion for wine is - lots of it.
GAWD I can be helpful at times :-)
 
aargersi January 12, 2016
I agree that a raw fennel salad to echo the fennel seeds sounds pretty darn good - I am kinda stuck on fennel, blood orange and red onion salads lately - soak the onions in cold water to take the bite outt, and I dress them simply in good olive oil, a dash of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and some minced fennel frond. It's not heart but beef IS hearty so, maybe yes?

My suggestion for wine is - lots of it.
GAWD I can be helpful at times :-)
 
kimhw January 11, 2016
I'm a huge fan of chopped spinach and greens mixed with shaved Brussels sprouts. Topped with bleu cheese, dried (unsweetened) cranberries, almond slivers and a Dijon buttermilk dressing. You can switch up the specifics. If you don't like bleu, try feta. Can't find the unsweetened cranberries, slice Granny Smiths. No tree nuts, get crunch and mimic flavor a with sliced fennel. Too much Dijon, lemon vinaigrette.
 
SeasonToTaste January 8, 2016
How about the Napa Cabbage wedge salad recipe (https://food52.com/recipes/31357-napa-cabbage-wedge-salad-with-apples-and-buttermilk-dressing)? Or the kohlrabi bistro salad recently posted on thekitchn.com?
 
Nancy January 8, 2016
Sounds like a wonderful main dish.
So, if you want to echo the fennel seed, and have something with bright and sometimes slightly bitter flavor (the watercress) to offset the creamy steak sauce, use one of these:
Fennel & apple from Bonnie Stern - clean & simple flavors, fresh, won't compete with the beef.
http://news.nationalpost.com/appetizer/bonnie-stern-green-crunch-goes-well-with-grey-weather
Artichoke, fennel & arugula salad from Eric Ripert (in WSJ) - use canned or frozen artichokes when they're out of season. nice bitterness.
Shaved fennel, celery & egg salad from Deborah Madison, from her book, Vegetable Literacy, 2013.
Watercress, fennel, orange & avocado from Gail Monohan (also in WSJ).
Among the many red wines that would go with the mustard-cream sauced steak, I suggest a cabernet sauvignon or carmenere or blend of the two from Chile.
 
shea January 8, 2016
YES! This is the kind of thing I was hoping to get! Wonderful options. Thank you so much!
 
Nancy January 8, 2016
Shea - glad the note sparked your interest! One correction, that's Gail MONAGHAN in Wall St Journal,
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323809304578433070409523876
 
Alexandra V. January 8, 2016
For wine I would do a Bordeaux or sangenivese.
 
ChefJune January 8, 2016
Alexandra, I think you meant Sangiovese, and I respectfully disagree. For Prime Rib is when I want to bring out the big Cali cabs. It's really just about the only thing they go with - and boy, do they ever.
Sangiovese covers quite a broad base, from Chianti to Morellino di Scansano to Rosso di Montalcino to Brunello -- none of which, with the possible exception of aged Brunello, would be "the best" pick for the Prime rib. Sorry or inflicting my wine lesson when you didn't even ask...
 
ChefJune January 8, 2016
Okay, my bad. it's a filet and not a Prime rib. I still like the Cali Cab - or Bordeaux (especially a "special" one) as you suggested. [I wish we had an edit button for this page.
 
Alexandra V. January 8, 2016
LOL.
 
Alexandra V. January 8, 2016
I would go with the classic steakhouse favorite "the wedge" iceberg wedge, blue cheese dressing, bacon, and tomatoes (I use sundried tomatoes in oil). Its low carb and tasty.
 
shea January 8, 2016
Yeah, I thought of that but wanted something more interesting and unexpected. The tenderloin is so easy to make so I kind of feel guilty about it. Was wanting to work a little harder with the salad and make it a more complex taste combo.
 
Alexandra V. January 8, 2016
So I guess a homemade Caesar wouldn't be "complex" enough...but one with shaved fennel and really good cheese is incredibly complex, and I might add a lot of times it isn't about reinventing the wheel its about switching up ingredients (butter lettuce instead of iceberg,smoked blue or Gorgonzola, pancetta in place of bacon etc.) and making them shine. Happy cooking!
 
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