Filet Mignon Skewers with Caramelized Onions and a Parsley Root Puree

Skewers are great for summer or anytime of the year and this one takes on an elegant flair. The caramelized onions and the puree complement the filet perfectly. We chose to eat the skewers as an appetizer, but they could easily be an elegant dinner entrée by increasing the amounts of the caramelized onions and the puree. You may be reluctant to make a puree of parsley root, but I highly recommend it and it pairs well with the entrée and has a sweet buttery flavor with a hint of the parsley root in the background. Ingredient amounts made 24 skewers and would serve 4 as an appetizer. Adjust ingredient amounts for the number of people serving and if you choose to serve it as an entrée.

Ingredients

Filet
1 -10 oz. beef tenderloin filet
1 tablespoon of olive oil
A sprinkle of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
12- 15 bamboo skewers cut in half
Caramelized Onions
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
6 pieces of lean bacon or regular bacon
2 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Parsley Root Puree
4 parsley roots about 12 oz., peeled, stems removed and diced
3/4 of cup of 2% organic milk or 2% regular milk
1 tablespoon of Smart Balance Butter or regular butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Technique

Cut filet into 1 inch cubes, place into a small dish and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss with olive oil making sure all cubes are evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Cut the bacon strips julienne style and sauté them in a small skillet over medium high heat. Once crisp remove and place in a small bowl or plate lined with a paper towel to remove any excess grease. You may have to use another paper towel to blot grease as well. Set aside. In a medium sized skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat add onions and sauté until they begin to brown. Add brown sugar and sauté until evenly coated. Add bacon and balsamic vinegar and stir over low heat until warm. Turn off heat and let sit at room temperature in the skillet while preparing the rest of the components.

In a medium sized pot heat about 2 cups of water with a pinch of kosher salt. Add diced parsley root and simmer until root is fork tender. Drain and place into a blender or magic bullet with skim milk, butter and kosher salt. Blend until it is silky smooth. Remove and return to original pot until ready to serve.

Skewer filet individually, as shown, or about 2 or 3 cubes per skewer. Heat grill to medium high. Place all skewers onto grill or grill pan if your grill will accommodate that many or do in batches. Brown on each of the four sides of the filet, about one minute for each side for a total cooking time of about 4 minutes. Cooking times will vary depending on the type of grill you are using, the size of the meat cubes and how you like your meat cooked. Once cooked to your liking, remove from grill, tent meat with foil and let rest for about 5 minutes. Warm the puree and caramelized onion mixture. Plate by placing the puree on the bottom of the serving dish, add the caramelized onions mixture and top with skewers. Make sure to serve with a spoon for your guests to scoop up any leftover puree mixture or caramelized onion mixture.

Suggested Beverage

Try Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore, CA), Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon (California), Château La Confession Saint-Émillion Grand-Cru (France), Barton and Guestier Margaux Vintage (France).

Chatty Advice

When making any of our gluten-free recipes take care in reading the labels of any packaged or canned products. If there is a label on anything you are using, read it or ask to make sure that it is indeed gluten-free. Many products vary in ingredients from brand to brand. Some examples of this can be found when looking at the labels of soy sauce, mustard, distilled vinegar, and even chicken broth.

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