Ease of Preparation: Medium
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces (60 g) butter
- 2 ounces (60 g) flour
- 4 cups (945 ml) milk
- ½ onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- Salt and white pepper
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) whipping cream, divided
- 1 lemon, juice
- ⅛ cup (30 ml) white wine
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.75 ml) saffron
- 1 cup (240 ml) frozen peas, thawed
- Grilled and sliced beef tenderloin, to serve
Method:
In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and allow the mixture to cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Gradually whisk the milk into the butter-flour mixture until all the milk is incorporated. Allow the mixture to slowly come back to a simmer.
Meanwhile, attach the bay leaf to the onion with the cloves. Submerge the studded onion in the milk.
Allow the sauce to simmer for 25-30 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Remove and discard the onion, bay leaf and cloves.
Whisk ¾ cup (180 ml) of the cream into the sauce and return it to the simmer. Allow to cook and reduce by ½, roughly 30 more minutes, whisking often.
Whisk the remaining cream into the sauce and add the lemon juice. Separate the sauce into three equal portions.
Steep the saffron in the wine for 30 minutes.
Strain the saffron out of the wine and discard. Stir the wine into one of the 3 sauces. Reserve
Add the peas to a blender along with just enough water to allow the mixture to spin. Blitz the peas until completely smooth, then pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Stir the pix puree into one of the 3 sauces. Reserve.
Spoon each of the sauces over separate sections of the sliced tenderloin. Serve immediately.
