Rossini fillet 

''I know of no better occupation than eating, that is, than actually eating. Appetite is to the stomach what love is to the heart. The stomach is the conductor who conducts the great orchestra of our passions.''

It was written by Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (1792–1868), musician, composer known not only for for works such as Il barbiere Di Siviglia, L'italiana in Algeri, La Gazza Ladra and Guglielmo Tell but also for various recipes.

Rossini fillet between truth and legend

The Master's great love for valuable ingredients leads him to have a lot of respect even for the restaurants where he eats. Rossini used to greet all the dining room staff and loved to enter the kitchens very often to talk to the chefs and ask for changes to the dishes. It is said, in fact, that from this habit, so extravagant for the period, the myth of the Rossini fillet was born: to the composer's request for a truffle variation for his fillet, a chef would have responded negatively. To this refusal, the angry Rossini would have replied "Alors, tournez le dos!", literally "Turn your back". The name of the supreme exaggeration can be traced back to this legend, called Tournedos Rossini: a beef fillet (tournedos is a slice of meat obtained from the central part of the fillet) cooked in butter, accompanied by fresh foie gras and flavored with black truffle and Madeira.

The recipe is quite simple and requires few ingredients but of great value: flour the fillets, brown them in butter leaving them to the blood and take care never to pierce them with knives or other sharp utensils; Salt and pepper only at the end of cooking. Pour Madeira wine into the cooking stock of the meat, shrink and sprinkle your tournedos at the time of serving.

INGREDIENTS

4 Veal fillets about 160 gr each

4 Slices foie gras

8 Cl Madeira

40 Gr black truffle

100 Gr Calf bottom

60 Gr butter

salt and pepper

GUIDELINES

In a pan, melt some of the butter and brown the veal fillets on both sides. Add salt and pepper and finish baking at 180 °C for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest. Deglaze with Madeira, dry and add chopped truffles, reducing with the bottom of the veal. Boil and finally beat with 10 grams of butter. Cook the 4 slices of foie gras for a short time in a non-stick pan. Serve by putting the cooking stock at the base, the meat, the foie gras and the grated truffle flakes.