Top Chef, Season 2, Episode 8

More than 10 servings

•     1 beef tenderloin, about 1 1/2 pounds
•     4-6 ounces blue cheese
•     3/4 cup heavy cream, more if necessary
•     6 ounces green beans, trimmed
•     1 bunch watercress
•     1 head garlic
•     2 tablespoons olive oil
•     Salt and pepper for seasoning

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Sprinkle tenderloin with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add tenderloin and brown on all sides. Transfer skillet to oven and bake 12-15 minutes until tenderloin is medium-rare and has reached an internal temperature of 120 degrees. Remove from oven, transfer tenderloin to a plate.

Let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Drizzle garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil and wrap in foil.

Bake on a baking sheet for 45 minutes, until tender. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Squeeze garlic out of skin, discard skin.

In a medium bowl, combine garlic and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Whisk together until smooth. Cover and set aside.

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine blue cheese and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Process until mixture is smooth and spreadable, adding more heavy cream if necessary. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Fill two medium bowls with ice and water. Set aside.

Fill a medium saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and green beans. Cook until color changes to bright green and beans are tender, about 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer beans with a slotted spoon to ice bath. Let stand until cool. Remove beans from ice bath with slotted spoon and pat dry. Set aside.

Fill a small saucepan with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon coarse salt and watercress. Cook until watercress is bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to ice bath with slotted spoon and let stand until cool. Remove from ice bath with slotted spoon and pat dry.

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree watercress and 1/4 cup heavy cream until smooth.

Remove tenderloin from refrigerator. Thinly slice tenderloin. Place slices between two pieces of plastic wrap. Gently pound with a mallet, being careful not to tear plastic wrap, until beef is very thin. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap and discard.

Divide blue cheese mixture between the slices and spread thinly on each slice. Place 2-3 green beans in the center of each slice and roll beef around green beans. Place roll-ups on plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

TO PLATE:

Slice each roll in half. Serve with garlic and watercress sauces for dipping.