The photo shown in this email alert is not food, you notice. You get enough food shots from us every Friday, so we thought we’d change things up a bit. Yes, this is BVI, where a magical sauce was prepared. Not bad. I’ll take it. It’s been off-season for this Chesapeake Bay pirate, and who knows what that Louisiana lifestyle is doing to my co-pirate….swashbuckling somewhere no doubt. But thankfully for understudies like Torie, direct from BVI, we still have just-cooked recipes to share with all our followers. And this one will knock your socks off. That is, if you’re wearing any.

Thank you, Guest Pirate Torie, for making this lovely Gorgonzola Mushroom Sauce, one of your classic dishes prepared on elegant S/V Solitude. This meal was prepared while on a mooring ball off the Bitter End Yacht Club in North South, Virgin Gorda. 

Gorgonzola Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced (we used a bit more….)
1 ½ cups whipping cream
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 4 ounces)
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles (from canned chipotles in adobo sauce)

Mince the garlic. Chop the chipotles and mushrooms. (be careful with the chipotles..that adobo sauce stains everything, including your hands and your cutting board!)

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add shitake mushrooms.  Sauté for about 4 minutes until they are soft.  Add minced garlic and stir for 1 minute. 

Add whipping cream and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 4 minutes, until sauce is thickened.

Add chipotle chiles and gorgonzola cheese.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

 Let stand at room temperature while you prepare the filets.  You can do sauce up to 2 hours ahead.

Seared Filet Mignon

4 (6 oz) filet mignon steaks
Steak seasoning (I recommend Seattle Rhythm and Spice’s Everything Rub
1 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Sprinkle steaks with seasoning and a light coating of sugar (to help caramelize the outside of the steaks).  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy skillet.  Cook steaks in skillet until brown on both sides and cooked to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Rewarm sauce.  Transfer steaks to plates, pour sauce over steaks, and serve.

A great seared filet, smothered in a delectable Gorgonzola Mushroom Sauce, and a fine glass of wine is always appreciated by the captain! I’ll bet there was some lovely music in the background as well. We pirates like to keep our captains happy. 

Thank you, Torie for being our guest contributor to Galley Pirates! We only wish we had been there!