The pinnacle of rustic Parisian bistro tradition, where generous slices of melt-in-your-mouth beef tongue are draped in a rich, velvety brown sauce spiked with vinegar, tender shallots, and crunchy sliced cornichons.
Ingredients
- 1400 g whole untrimmed fresh beef tongue
- 800 g firm-fleshed Charlotte potatoes
- 300 g fresh sand-grown carrots
- 1 piece whole fresh leek
- 1 piece fresh yellow onion
- 3 pieces dried whole cloves
- 3 cloves fresh white garlic cloves
- 1 piece fresh bouquet garni, tied (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)
- 25 g coarse grey Guérande sea salt
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 3.5 l tap water
- 80 g fresh traditional shallots
- 40 g pasteurized unsalted butter (82% butterfat)
- 30 g all-purpose flour (T55)
- 6 cl white wine vinegar (6% acidity)
- 15 cl dry white table wine (12% ABV)
- 50 g no-salt-added double-concentrated tomato paste (28%)
- 80 g pasteurized extra-fine cornichons in vinegar
- 1 bunch bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
Method
- Place the tongue in a large pot and cover generously with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil for about 10 minutes to draw out and skim off the initial impurities. Drain the tongue and rinse it under warm water, then wash the pot thoroughly.
- Peel the onion and pierce it with the cloves. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them with the flat of your hand. Wash the leek and tie it with kitchen twine for easy removal. Wash and peel the carrots. Return the blanched tongue to the clean pot, then add the whole carrots, tied leek, clove-studded onion, garlic cloves, bouquet garni, black peppercorns, and coarse sea salt.
- Pour in enough tap water to completely cover the meat and aromatics. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover the pot and let simmer very gently for about 3 hours. Check for tenderness: the tip of a knife should pierce the center of the thickest part of the meat without any resistance.
- During the last half hour of the broth's cooking time, peel the potatoes and cut them into even wedges. Place them in a saucepan, cover with cold water, salt moderately, and simmer for 20 minutes until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and keep warm.
- Remove the tongue from the steaming broth with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer it to a cutting board. Keep the broth hot over low heat. Working quickly so the skin doesn't stick as it cools, carefully score the rough white membrane with the tip of a knife and peel it off cleanly with your fingers. Trim the base of the tongue, cutting away any small cartilaginous areas and unwanted fat.
- Strain the cooking broth through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois to extract a clear, highly aromatic liquid to build the sauce.
- Peel and finely mince the shallots. In a heavy-bottomed saute pan, pour the white wine vinegar and dry white wine, then add the shallots. Bring to a boil and reduce over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until the shallots become tender and translucent and only a small amount of syrupy liquid remains.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Once it begins to foam, add the flour all at once and whisk vigorously for 2 minutes without letting it brown to cook the roux. Gradually pour in the hot, strained tongue broth while whisking continuously to obtain a smooth, lump-free velouté. Whisk in the tomato paste, then pour this thickened mixture into the saute pan with the reduced shallots. Simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly with a wooden spatula, until you have a glossy consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
- Cut the cornichons into thin, even slices. Wash, dry, and chop the flat-leaf parsley. Turn off the heat under the saute pan, then fold in the sliced cornichons, chopped parsley, and ground cayenne pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary: the sharp acidity should cut through cleanly without masking the savory base of the meat.
- Carve the trimmed tongue on the bias into slices a good half-inch thick. Artfully arrange the hot slices on a warmed serving platter alongside the steamed potatoes and the broth's carrots, sliced on the bias. Generously drape the meat with the hot sauce piquante and immediately serve the remaining sauce in a gravy boat.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 657.7 kcal
- Protein
- 52.95 g
- Carbohydrate
- 56.62 g
- Fat
- 21.84 g
- Fibre
- 9.23 g
- Calcium
- 66.86 mg
- Iron
- 1.45 mg
- Magnesium
- 33.01 mg
