Feeling a bit devilish and a lot carnivorous, I was so glad to see the sidebar for this recipe in Dorie Greenspan’s, Around My French Table states that the Chicken Diable dish could be made with Filet Mignon. Given the choice between chicken and Filet Mignon, it’s a no brainer- BEEF! (It’s definitely what’s for dinner!)
When I was in Paris last year I stocked up on mustard. And when I say I stocked up, I could have easily been mistaken for a doomsday prepper. There was a Monoprix (similar to a Target but with much, MUCH better food) right around the corner from the apartment where I was staying. I wandered the aisles several times a week filling my cart with coffee, cornichons, sauces, wine, cheeses (Watch two minutes of French cheese!), pates, rillettes and mustard. I am pretty sure I bought every type of Maille mustard they had to offer. And not just one jar of each, but several.
Yes, you can get Maille mustard here in the U.S., but somehow it’s not the same. Spicy, sweet, tangy, bitter… Old Style Whole Grain Dijon, Dijon with Honey, Mustard with Chablis, Moutarde Aux Fines Herbes and so many other varieties are available. I found one in a beautiful white crock, a green one, a red one, one in a stemmed “wine” glass, one in a juice glass and of course many jars of their regular Originale Dijon… it doesn’t matter the variety, they all ended up in my suitcase. Which was the real devil to carry through the airport and ended up being, not surprisingly, “overweight”.
For this recipe, Moutarde a l’Ancienne was chosen just because it was open. It’s a very traditional grained mustard with white wine and large, whole mustard seeds. It’s not as sharp or hot as Dijon Originale and it adds just the right amount of tang without masking the velvety smooth, rich flavor of the meat. It was a perfect combination! I am looking forward to trying this again with Chicken. Perhaps I will venture to use a different jar of mustard too!
Pureed carrots made a terrific side dish, simply done with butter and salt.
So sorry, but I cannot share this wonderful recipe- but you can (and should!) buy the book and cook along with us. It’s great fun! Every Friday we make a new recipe. And I can’t wait for next week’s challenge! For details and to see how others are recreating the dishes from this awesome book, check out the FFWD site.
Click on and buy the book:
I think I’d leave all my clothes behind and just stock up on the food in my suitcase! I’m going to have to try the filet mignon version of this. It looks wonderful and the carrots seem like a perfect side.
Whenever I travel, I always stalk the local grocery stores for treats. I have to believe France would have some goldmine stores around – I would have gone all prepper in that store too..
Your filet + puree looks wonderful.
I”m guilty of hoarding Paris mustard myself so I understand you completely.
How inspiring ! Nana and I have visited the Maille store near the Madeleine area a couple of times. We are planning an April trip and I will be sure to hit one of those Monoprix’s too. We always try to go the grocery stores when traveling and one of our favorites to pick up are the packaged soups and spice mixes…such as Knorrs. The options they offer in France are different than those we find in the US. And your meal looks amazing. Yes, this was a “keeper” recipe for sure.
I loved your cheese video! I tried this with chicken, but it looks equally wonderful with your filet. Did they let you bring the mustard through security in a carry-on? I ask because one time security confiscated the yogurt I had it my bag for a pre-flight breakfast. They said it was a “liquid or gel”. I was very sad because the breakfast I had to buy on the other side of security was awful.
I made the beef version, too…so fantastic! And I’m kicking myself for not buying real French mustards while in Paris last summer. Maybe it was b/c my hubby would have rolled his eyes if I suggested grocery shopping 🙂
Wasn’t this terrific with the beef? I can’t wait to try it with chicken too. And I think I’d like to experiment with mustards – I had no idea they came in such varieties! This was certainly an interesting learning experience. Lovely work with this recipe – your plate looks so simple and also so delicious!
Just amazing! I’d love to try this with beef – I think it would be good with fish, too.
Your photos are wonderful.
Yes, always stock up when you can. Extra suitcases allowable. I loved the sauce. And will try this one with Beef next time.
fancy looking tenderloin
awesome photograph too…..