The tenderness of the fillet, the delicately browned foie gras, and the intense sauce elevate the whole dish. And best of all: it is easy to prepare; just follow these recommendations:

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 beef tournedos (fillet, 180–200 g each, thick and nicely round)
• 2 slices of very cold or frozen raw foie gras
• 2 slices of sandwich bread or brioche (crust removed)
• 1 small black truffle or truffle peelings (optional but traditional)
  
• 10 cl of veal stock (liquid or powdered, for example Maggi)
• 5 cl of madeira, port or armagnac
• 20 g of butter
• Oil (your choice)
• Fine salt, pepper 

Recipe preparation of tournedos Rossini

1. Tournedos

• Take the meat out 20 min before cooking.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Sear over high heat with a little oil, 2–3 min per side (rare).
• Add a knob of butter at the end of cooking, then then baste the meat.
  
• Remove the meat from the pan and place it on a warm plate.
• Loosely cover with aluminum foil without tightening it.
• Let rest for 3–4 min off the heat.

2. Madeira Sauce

• Deglaze the pan used to cook the tournedos with Madeira, port, or Armagnac.
  
• Add the veal stock and let it reduce until it coats the back of a spoon (dip a spoon into the sauce and, when you run your finger across the back of the spoon, the line should remain visible and not close up immediately).
• Add a few truffle slices or truffle juice if you have any.
• Taste, adjust the seasoning. Set aside and keep warm.

3. Toasts

• Remove the crust from the bread for a more refined presentation.

• Brown the slices of bread in a clean pan with butter until crisp.

4. Foie gras

• Use a very hot pan, without any fat (the foie gras naturally releases its own fat).
• Sear for only 30–45 seconds per side, until lightly browned.
• Season lightly after cooking.

Plating (the key to Rossini)

• Toast in the center of the plate
• Sauce drizzled around
• Tournedos placed on top
• Foie gras escalope on the meat
• Truffle slices on top
  

Classic side dish: homemade mashed potatoes or fine green vegetables.

Tip: serve the side dish hot and in small portions, so as not to overshadow the delicacy of the tournedos and foie gras.