Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms and Baked Fennel in Cream

So I'm learning Italian. Don't ask me why. It's like learning Turkish. The language is only really valid in one country in the world. Why not French? I could get along in Montreal, Marseilles or Martinique with that handy language. Or Spanish? Nearly our second language...is it official yet? I haven't checked. I wouldn't be surprised. Not to mention the great country of Spain with its delightful Rioja's and all of that heavenly cured jamon serrano. Or what about Argentina and its beautiful Malbec's and seductive tango? Honestly I'm not sure why I am drawn to learn Italian. I suppose there is just something about the way the speak, the rhythm and sing-songy tone that allows the speaker to sound like a musical symphony each time they open their mouth. But more than just the language, the pure essence of la dolce vita, the sweet life, that everything in this moment is important, nothing else matters.

I suppose it's just a small cry to get myself back there one of these days. If I learn the language, I must go. Simple as that.

In the meantime I will take advantage of sampling my way through the Italian wine section at Decanted, the wine shop in which I call "my office" and exploring the cuisine of traditional Italian fare.

Friday nights have become kind of a ritual stay-at-home-and-cook-a-good-meal night. I have come to rely on a few select cookbooks and online resources. I now know how to read a recipe and can tell if it will turn out ordinary or extraordinary. I feel drawn to Italian cooking and most of my recipe selections are based around Italian ingredients.

Lesson 1 in Italian cooking: It's not all meatballs and marinara

The following recipes are traditional Italian (except for the Bechamel, which is of course French, but we will discuss that later). The pork part of this recipe I have made before. My aunt Leanne and I attended a cooking class in Seattle one rainy autumn night. Sabrina Tinsley, owner of La Spiga Italian restaurant in Seattle hosted a delightful class with traditional fall recipes of her husband's native Italy. There was so much I didn't know at the time about cooking pork. Rule #1, dry your pork throughly. Rule #2, lightly dust the pork with flour and pat off any excess, do not overcoat. Rule #3, cook the pork fast, sear on both sides and then only a few more minutes is needed until you have perfectly tender pork medallions. That's all that is needed, otherwise you will end up with shoe leather. I avoided pork for too many years because of just that, over cooked meat, dried out and tough as cardboard. Using a quality cut of meat such as tenderloin also helps. As always with cooking, I must have something to sip on, so I opened a bottle of Spanish white wine, Castello do Papa Godello. Godello is the grape and it's somewhere between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. There is a slight butteryness with fairly high acidity. We ordered it a few weeks ago at I.M. Tapas, a Spanish restaurant in Naples, and it paired wonderfully with the olives and cured ham we ordered. It is best drank with food.

This recipe calls for wild mushrooms, however I just used baby bella and white buttons. It also called for 2 tbsp fresh parsley and I substituted dried oregano. For so few ingredients, this recipe is bursting with flavor.

Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms

Recipe adapted from La Spiga chef, Sabrina Tinsley

Serves 6-8

1 2.5 lb Pork Tenderloin

Flour

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Sauce

1 1/2 lbs Mixed Wild Mushrooms

1 cup Chicken Sock

2 cloves Garlic, sliced

2 tbsp dried Oregano

For the Sauce

Slowly heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil with the garlic slices in a saute pan. When the garlic begins to sizzle add the oregano and saute on medium high for 30 seconds longer. Add the mushrooms and do not stir for several minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Saute the mushrooms until they are almost cooked through, about 10 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes longer or until the mushrooms are completely tender. This may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

For the Pork

Cut the pork tenderloin into equal sized medallions. Salt and pepper the medallions and dredge in flour, removing any excess by patting the pieces with your hand. Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan until very hot. Brown the medallions on each side, then, without turning down the heat, add the mushroom sauce and cook until the pork is desired temperature and the sauce has thickened a bit.

To serve, transfer medallions to a serving platter and pour the mushroom sauce over the top.

For the second course I prepared a baked fennel dish. For those of you unfamiliar with fennel, it is in the anise family, that black licorice flavor that is found in ouzo. But if you cook it long enough, the flavors subside and you don't even notice any licorice. I think it's fantastic. There are two ways to cook this dish, one on the stove top and the other baked in the oven. I find the oven version to be easier, set it and forget it.

Fennel Baked in Cream

Serves 6-8

1 1/2 lbs fennel (4 medium sized bulbs), stalks removed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2" wedges

2 cups heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2

1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan

Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, toss together fennel, cream and 1 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 3 qt baking dish. Cover dish with foil and bake for 60 minutes.

Uncover baking dish, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake until fennel is tender and Parmesan has browned, about 30 minutes.

The third part of this dish was two beautiful artichokes I picked up on a whim at Fresh Market. I grew up eating artichokes, Dave had not had one until we met. I think they are one of the best foods in the world. We also grew up dipping them in mayonnaise.

I decided it was time to grow up, to branch out of dipping our artichokes in a prepared condiment with a snap lid. I'm all about making everything from scratch. I decided to make a butter based cream sauce, and what better sauce than Bechamel? I know it's not Italian, and I'm sure there is an Italian version of this sauce out there somewhere, but this was convenient. I will list this simple recipe, however, Dave has this thing about French cooking. I should have never told him it was a French sauce. Instantly he regarded it as bland and one dimensional. You can try it if you like, I thought it turned out great. But really, if you are going for an Italian meal, don't invite the French.

Steamed Artichokes

Trim the stems and cut about 1/4 inch off the top with a serrated bread knife. With scissors trim the remaining leaves to remove the spikes. Place artichokes in a large pot filled about 1/3 with water. Boil artichokes for 45 minutes or until the leaves pull away from the base easily and the ends are tender. Check pot occasionally to make sure the water has not boiled out.

Bechamel

Makes about 1 cup

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 cup milk, plus more if sauce is too thick

pinch of nutmeg

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until medium golden brown (the more you brown it, the more the nutty flavor will intensify). Pour in half the milk, stirring vigorously until smooth. Stir in remaining milk, season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Served with dinner was a Sangiovese blend from Chianti Classico, Castello D'Albola. Fairly high acidity, medium oak and low tannin made this wine pair wonderfully with the pork. Rated in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010 with 90 Points.