Steak Diane

Le Chevalier.

Le Chevalier was a restaurant on one of the squares in Damascus that seemed to scattered throughout the central part of town. I think this one had palm trees and a little square area with a fountain, but it's been more that twenty years so I might be thinking of a different square in a different city. In Europe or America there would have been grass in the center area, the lack of it did not detract from the elegance of the square itself.

The restaurant was named after the Krak De Chevalier a great big crusader castle about 50 miles outside of the city. Krak De Chevalier is one of the best preserved castles of the crusades in the world. Fabulous to behold, awe inspiring and just bloody huge it comes complete with clammy walled dungeons dripping with slime and chapels filled with light and soaring stone vaulted ceilings that seemed to spring from delicate ornate columns. There were tracery stone windows and a cloister that filled the soul with the romance of bygone days, chivalry, minstrels, knights in shining armor and all that rot.

Though the crusades were really just a bunch of peasants living in their own filth trying to kill a bunch of other peasants who were living in their own filth. All this because they could not agree on which one of the Jonas brothers is the most irritating.  The Saracens said that ****** was the worst, but Pope ***** said it was **** (Which is silly because we all know that ***** is the most irritating Jonas brother. I know because my invisible friend told me. Yes I have an invisible friend, he tells me to burn things…heh…fire…).

Well anyway here is steak Diane one of the staples of Le Chevalier, almost divine with a small French onion soup starter.

Ingredients for two marshmallowy peeps:

2 Filet mignons up to 8oz each

3 tablespoons butter

2 Shallot or the white of three scallions finely chopped

2-3 Fresh chives or a tablespoon of chopped green onion tops

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon of brandy or cognac

1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley chopped fine Pinch of salt A few grinds of fresh cracked black pepper

How you do this? I tell you now:

Heat one tablespoon of the butter over medium high heat in a heavy skillet. Meanwhile rub a little salt and pepper in to both sides of the steaks then place in the hot skillet. It may sputter for a second so stand back, consider yourself warned. Cook for three to four minutes a side for medium rare. Remove steaks from the pan and keep warm by placing them on a warm plate and covering them with aluminum foil. Add the shallots to the same skillet the steaks were cooked in. Sauté the shallots for 2 minutes, add the chives, the remaining butter, Worcestershire and lemon juice. Continue to cook for another minute and a half or so. Remove from heat add the brandy if using, a tiny pinch of salt and couple of grinds of fresh black pepper.  Add the steaks back to the pan off the heat and toss to coat with the sauce. Place each on a dinner plate and spoon the sauce over them. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve. Traditionally these are served with shoestring potatoes and big slices of beefsteak tomatoes.