Game Plan

I'm the Barefoot Contessa. It's card night at the barn tonight, and I've got a game plan for the perfect dinner. [ Laughter ] To go with drinks, I'm making spicy chili tortilla chips. The main course is a fabulous slow-roasted filet of beef that comes out perfectly every time. And it's delicious served with a no-cook sauce -- basil Parmesan mayonnaise. Next, I'm making elegant but easy truffled mashed potatoes. I'm turning up the volume on a favorite side dish -- balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts. And for dessert, it's a store-bought coconut cake. That should make the card sharks very happy. -- Captions by VITAC -- Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC. Every time I have friends to dinner, I make a game plan. It's exactly what I need to do at every moment to be sure everything gets hot to the table at the same time. My card-sharks friends are coming for dinner, and I've got a game plan. First thing on the menu -- slow-roasted filet of beef. First thing on the game plan -- oven to 275. So, slow-roasted filet of beef is one of my favorite things to do. It's really easy, and it really is foolproof. So, I'm starting with a 4 1/2 pound filet of beef, and it's already been trimmed and tied by the butcher. And I just want to pat it dry with paper towels. If it's wet, it'll steam in the oven, and I want it to roast. Okay. Nice and dry. So, the first thing I'm gonna do is rub it with a little bit of olive oil, couple of tablespoons. Just drizzle it right on. It just keeps it really moist in the oven. You know, generally, filet of beef is roasted at a high temperature. And you end up with this nice, brown outside and a nice, juicy inside, but it's not consistent all the way through. It's sort of more done on the outside. What I found was when you roast it at a low temperature, it ends up being perfectly medium-rare all the way through. And it's amazing. Okay. Olive oil, and then lots and lots of salt and pepper. Want it to have great flavor. So, the first thing is 4 teaspoons of salt. It seems like a lot, but it really flavors it. And you want to do it carefully and all over. I'm really looking forward to seeing my card-sharks friends. We've been playing bridge for years. And because I've been so busy, we haven't been able to play lately. So it'll be fun to see them again. And the next thing is 2 teaspoons of coarsely ground black pepper. It's much coarser than I usually do. But for this, I think it's really nice. Right down the middle. If you don't have a grinder that can make really coarsely ground black pepper, you can actually use a mortar and pestle and grind it yourself. Okay. That's salt and pepper. Next is fresh tarragon. It's about 15 branches. Tarragon has a really nice, very sort of subtle anise flavor, and it's gonna flavor the beef when it roasts. Just lay it on the outside of this. Okay, a little bit of kitchen string. I always have that around. Tie it underneath and around. Just want a few ties just to make sure it stays on the beef. And then, before I serve it, I'm gonna take all the string off. Nobody needs to eat string. You know, I think people think that because I cook all the time, I've got a game plan in my head. But the truth is, it's really hard to do that. And I found that if I wrote it down, I just forgot about it. I didn't worry all day, "Should I start the dinner? Should I not start the dinner?" I just look at my game plan, and there's nothing to do before 4:30. So, just a little brush of olive oil on the tarragon, just to make sure it doesn't burn. This is gonna be really good. Okay. That's it. Into the oven, 275, for about an hour and a quarter, an hour and a half, until the internal temperature is about 130 for medium-rare. This is a little, thin one, so I'm gonna keep an eye on it. So, next, I'm gonna make basil Parmesan mayonnaise to go with the filet of beef. I know it sounds a little complicated to make mayonnaise. Trust me. It's not. So, the first thing is two room-temperature eggs. I'll separate the eggs. I just need the yolks. Next is 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. And the lemon juice is really important for mayonnaise, just to give it that sort of edge. Right into the food processor. 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon of good Dijon mustard. 1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil. I love basil. Next, some garlic -- just about 1/2 teaspoon. Tablespoon of salt. It seems like a lot, but it makes a lot of basil Parmesan mayonnaise. 1 teaspoon of pepper. And I'm just gonna puree this. Top goes on the food processor. Process for about 20 seconds. Next is oil. I'm combining two different oils -- 1 cup of vegetable oil, which has really no taste, which is good, and then 1/2 cup of olive oil, which gives it some taste. I like the combination because just pure olive oil would be way too flavorful for this. I just pour them both into a glass measuring cup. So, with the food processor on, I'm just gonna pour this slowly through the feed tube. Just a steady stream. This is such a great sauce for the filet of beef. It's really spicy from the Parmesan and the basil. That little bit of lemon juice and mustard give it a nice edge. Add the oil slowly so it gets absorbed by the egg yolk. And that's done. Now, how easy is that? Okay. Right into a pitcher. Can't wait to taste this. Mmm. Don't mind if I do. Mmm. It's lovely, layered. I really taste the basil. The Parmesan is really strong. A little bit of mustard and lemon juice to give it an edge. It's gonna be great on the filet of beef. And I think I'm right on schedule. Next, I'm making balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts and truffled mashed potatoes. I've got the secret for homemade tortilla chips. And then, I'm pulling the whole meal together. I'm absolutely on track for dinner at 7:30 sharp. Cheers! There's nothing that makes a dinner party less stressful than making a game plan, which is really just a timeline for when everything has to get done in its order. I've got three friends coming for dinner. We call ourselves the card sharks because we play bridge together. And I'm making dinner for us, and then we're gonna play bridge. I'm making balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts. They're so delicious, and the good news is, I can make them ahead. So, 1 1/2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, right onto the sheet pan. And I actually even include all the little leaves that sort of fall off while I'm cutting them because they end up being those crispy bits that are so delicious. Okay. Next, pancetta, which is Italian bacon. If you can't find it, you can always use regular bacon, but it has a great flavor. And I'm just gonna dice it in a 1/4-inch dice. I actually originally came across this recipe when I went to Tyler Florence's wonderful restaurant, Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco. And he made them, and I thought, "I could probably make something like that." So what I do is I roast the Brussels sprouts and the pancetta together with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. And then after they come out of the oven, I'm gonna drizzle them with a syrupy balsamic vinegar. It's a great combination. Okay. Onto the sheet pan. Okay. Now I just need some olive oil, about 1/4 of a cup. Just drizzle it right on. Lots of salt and pepper -- about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and about 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. And clean hands. Just mix them all together. What I'm doing is I'm just preparing them now in advance. Then they're just gonna sit at room temperature until I'm ready to roast them. That's one of the secrets of stressless entertaining -- do as much as possible ahead. So, just spread them out in one layer. Perfect. Ready for later. And now I'm gonna make truffled mashed potatoes. Trust me. They're delicious. Well, you can't make good mashed potatoes without half-and-half and some butter. So the first thing I'm gonna do is just heat up 1 1/2 cups of half-and-half... ...and 3/4 of a stick of butter. That's 6 tablespoons. And just melt them together. And then I'm gonna show you my secret ingredient. Truffle butter comes in 3-ounce containers. White truffles are unbelievably expensive, and the truffle butter isn't. You can find it online if you can't find it in a grocery store. So, as soon as the butter and the cream heat up, I'm gonna put the truffle butter in. But in the meantime, I'm gonna drain the potatoes. I have 2 1/2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes that I peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks. This is truly one of my favorite side dishes. Back into the pot. Oh, perfect. The butter's hot, and now I'm just gonna put the truffle butter right in, off the heat. I don't want the truffles cooking. Okay, right in. You want to get all of it in. Gorgeous. And so here's the secret about mashed potatoes -- I just do it right in the pot. So, just turn the mixer on slowly and break them up, and then slowly add the cream and butter and truffle butter, just until it's the right consistency. This is so great to do with a hand mixer. You never want to do it in a food processor. It brings out the starch in the potatoes, and they get really gummy. Not good in mashed potatoes. And I know people say you can't make mashed potatoes in advance, but the truth is you can. I just keep them warm in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Okay. Just a few more things, and we're done. 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. How could that hurt? Next, 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt. I use kosher salt. I think it's got great flavor. And 1 teaspoon of pepper. And just mix that in. And I may just have to taste this to make sure it's really good. You know, for something like this, a lot of people use white pepper. I really prefer the taste of black pepper. And I kind of like knowing that there's pepper in it. Okay. Now a taste to make sure it's perfectly seasoned. Why is this the one thing I have to taste? Mmm. Wow. That's incredible. My guys are gonna love it. You really taste the truffles. You taste a little bit of the Parmesan. Fantastic. Okay. Into a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. That's gonna keep it nice and warm. It's gonna be so good with the filet of beef with basil Parmesan mayonnaise, roasted Brussels sprouts. It's a real guy dinner. I'm just gonna keep an eye on them. Just make sure -- if they get a little thick, I'm gonna add a little more cream. Never hurts. Perfect. And that's ready for dinner. Next, more game-plan strategies with an easy table-setting idea. Chili tortilla chips delicious with drinks. Then I'm pulling the whole meal together. I love it when a game plan works. It's bridge night at the barn tonight. I love these nights. My card-shark friends are coming, and I thought, "I think I'll make them dinner this time." So, every time I make a dinner, no matter how small it is, I've got a game plan so it comes out perfectly. So, let's see where I am. The beef is in the oven. Truffled mashed potatoes are staying warm on the stove. Brussels sprouts are all ready to go into the oven. But with any game plan, the first thing I always do is set the table. So, I started with a 42-inch round table, covered it in burlap. Then I chose plain, white plates and my good, silver flatware. Then napkins in orange and brown. They look stylish but not fancy. I like to use stemmed wine glasses for the height and straight-sided water glasses. And instead of flowers, a big bowl of clementines with lemon leaves. I do always feel so much better when the table setting's done. It's kind of like having the dress for the party. You know you're good to go. So, another rule I have for entertaining is don't make everything yourself. So what I did was I went to the Sag Harbor Baking Company and ordered an incredible cake. The Sag Harbor Baking Company is owned by two fabulous women -- Mimi Yardley and Margaret Brooks -- who bake incredible custom cakes, French pâtisserie, muffins, doughnuts, cupcakes -- I could go on and on. They've known each other since they were kids in Sag Harbor. Margaret became a pastry chef. Mimi was an accountant with a passion for baking. They spotted a gap in the market for a local bakery and, well, the rest is history. There's only one problem -- what do I choose? Should it be the chocolate ganache tart, the almond cake, the lemon tart, or the coconut layer cake? They're all just so fabulous. Wait till you see what I chose. Coconut cake. An outrageous coconut cake. You think this is big enough for four of us? Oh, my God. This looks so amazing. I mean, what guy wouldn't want this? Wow. That looks just fantastic. All right. That's dessert. I'm going back to the beginning of the meal, and I've made chili corn chips. You can fry them when your guests are there, but I made them in advance. I'm gonna reheat them in the oven. First, I cut 6-inch round tortillas in quarters, and then I fried them in 6 cups of peanut oil heated to 380 degrees. It's almost smoking-hot. They seem large, but they'll come out a perfect size. And here's a tip -- cook them in small batches. Don't crowd the pan so they cook really evenly. Each batch takes 2 or 3 minutes to cook, and I just turn them once so they brown evenly. When they're ready, I just take them out with a flat, wire strainer or tongs. They work just fine. Place them on a sheet pan lined with paper towels, and keep cooking the chips in batches until they're all fried. I use 10 tortillas total. So, in the meantime, I'm gonna make the spice mix. It's just a matter of mixing up 1 tablespoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin. It just gets sprinkled over the chips while they're still hot. They're so good. I'm just gonna take the paper out... ...and reheat the chili tortilla chips. 350-degree oven for just about 4 minutes, and they'll be really warm and crisp. Time to check the filet. It smells fantastic. Whoa. I want it to be just 130 degrees internally. Let me just check. You know, a lot of people test the filet like this, but it's so much more accurate to do it through the end. So, you make sure you really get the middle. Let me just see. And it is -- bingo -- 130 degrees exactly. So, I'm gonna cover it with foil and just let it rest for 20 minutes. Makes such a difference. All the juices get back into the meat. It comes out so much better. There. Okay. One more thing. I'm gonna turn the temperature up to 400 degrees, and the Brussels sprouts and pancetta go in to roast for about 20-30 minutes, until they're crisp and browned. I actually think this is gonna be a really nice dinner. Next, it's drinks with the card sharks. Then pulling the meal together, slicing that fabulous filet, and dinner served. Cheers. Cheers! I'm so happy to see you! It's been a long time! I know. And I made chili tortilla chips. Are they spicy? Yeah, they're a little spicy. They have chili in them. Have a seat. I hope you like my new library. Thank you. Okay, I have to put dinner together. Can you have fun for a few minutes? You bet we can. Without me? I don't think so. Okay, Mark, you're in charge of the chips. That's dangerous. Okay. Talk among yourselves. Okay. Jack? Don't those look good? Well, I'm having fun. My friends are here for dinner and a game of bridge -- my idea of a great night. So I've got a game plan for dinner, and it's working perfectly. So, first, I'm gonna slice the meat. Filet of beef. It's done exactly the way I like it. So, what I'm gonna do is take the strings off. Nobody needs to eat string. You can really smell the tarragon. It's wonderful. All the pepper and salt. MAN: Are we gonna play? [ Laughter ] That's why we're here. So, all you really need for this is a nice, sharp knife. And see how perfectly it's cooked? It's just the way I wanted it. I think since it's only four of us, I'll put the whole thing on the platter, but I'm definitely not gonna carve the whole thing. Put the slices on next. That's why a good, long knife is good. Fabulous. Brussels sprouts are done. They smell fantastic. But I have one last thing to put on them -- good balsamic vinegar. About a tablespoon. I'm just gonna drizzle it over the top. See how thick and just wonderful it is? If you can't find the really thick balsamic vinegar, you can actually just take regular balsamic and just boil it until it gets a little bit thick and syrupy. Okay. Nice, crispy Brussels sprouts and salty pancetta, and the balsamic vinegar. Whoa! This is great. Into a bowl. [ Laughter in distance ] It sounds like they're having a really good time in there. And finally, the truffled mashed potatoes. Mmm. They smell amazing. They're a little bit thick. I'm gonna add a little bit of cream to them, a little half-and-half. If you have to add a lot, you want to heat it up, but just a little splash, you can just do it at room temperature. How great is that? Okay. I'm just gonna pile this high in this bowl. And I would say my game plan worked perfectly. Everything's ready at exactly the same time. So, this is my slow-roasted filet of beef. Oh. It's cooked slowly? It's actually very rare all the way through. Uh-huh. A little Parmesan basil mayonnaise? Absolutely. Yeah. It looks like guacamole. [ Laughter ] So, a little truffled mashed potatoes? Yeah. I think so. Yes. Thank you. Those look delicious. They smell great. INA: So, Brussels sprouts. They're roasted with pancetta and balsamic vinegar. Perfect. I love these. Well, I hope everybody loves dinner. Thank you for having us. Eat fast so we can play bridge. [ Laughter ] The potatoes taste so good. You really taste the truffle butter, don't you? I like that there's a crunch to them. Yeah, I do, too. Anybody ready for dessert? Mmm. Me. I have the biggest dessert you've ever seen. So, it's a coconut cake. Oh, my goodness! [ Laughter ] You think it's big enough? It's from Sag Harbor Bakery. We can each get a quarter. Oh, my God. I think one slice would be good for all four of us. I was gonna say, what are you guys having? [ Laughter ] Part of my game plan is you don't make everything yourself, as long as it's really delicious. Oh, my goodness. How's that look? Does that look good? Nice slicing, Ina. Whoa. Did I do good? It's the finger part that's really special, right? Is it good? Excellent. Ina, this is delicious. I don't know how you did it. Thank you. Well, it turns out, a game plan is the difference. All right, enough with cake. Yay. [ Laughter ]