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    How To Cook A Delicious Filet Mignon Dinner For Two

    Plus mashed potatoes and roast carrots. Here's an easy, step-by-step plan that doesn't cost too much (except the filet...) and looks beautiful.

    Here's what you'll need.

    INGREDIENTS

    2 filet mignon

    3 or 4 potatoes, preferably a mix of medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes and Russets

    1 bunch of carrots

    4 sticks of butter

    1/3 cup whole milk

    kosher salt

    1/2 cup dry red wine

    1/2 cup beef or vegetable stock

    olive oil

    THE GAME PLAN

    1. Start the potatoes.

    2. Start the sauce.

    3. Get the carrots in the oven.

    4. Start the filets.

    5. Check the potatoes and check the sauce.

    6. Finish the potatoes.

    7. Check the carrots and the filet.

    8. Finish the sauce.

    9. EAT!

    Start with the potatoes. Peel them first.

    Then quarter them. The pieces should all be about the same size.

    Put the potato pieces in a large pot and cover them with cold water by about an inch.

    Bring the water to a boil and let them cook until just tender.

    While the potatoes are boiling, put 1/2 stick of butter and 1/3 cup of milk in a saucepan and put it on a burner with no heat.

    Next, make the red wine sauce. Combine 1/2 cup red wine and 1/2 cup of beef or chicken stock in a saucepan.

    Bring it to a boil and let it reduce by half.

    You can check the amount of liquid in the pan more easily by tipping it.

    As all that's happening, start the carrots. Preheat the oven to 440ºF. Wash the carrots, then dry them very well.

    If you didn't get pretty multicolored carrots, don't worry. If they aren't small, you might want to cut them into pieces so they are smaller, but no matter what kind of carrot, they all cook the same way.

    Drizzle the carrots with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt, then put in the oven at 400ºF. Set a timer for 20 minutes so you remember to check them.

    Dry the filets really well with a paper towel.

    Generously season with salt and pepper all over.

    Heat a Tbsp of vegetable oil in a saute pan. Don't use EVOO because it will smoke.

    Once the pan is so hot that it's almost smoking and you can really feel the heat when you hold you hand over it.

    Once they have a nice brown crust, flip them over.

    Once the second side has a nice brown crust, roll them around to give all the sides a crust.

    Then put them in a 400ºF oven until a thermometer registers 135ºF.

    In the meantime, check the potatoes, if they are tender, drain them. Turn the heat on under your milk/butter very low.

    Put the potatoes back in the pot and mash them with a potato masher or the back of a fork.

    Add the milk and butter.

    Keep mashing.

    HEY, check your carrots and your filet!

    Once you like the way the potatoes taste (yes, taste them!), dot the top with butter.

    Put some plastic wrap on top, then put the potatoes on the oven to keep them warm.

    Once the filet is at 135ºF, let it rest for a few minutes.

    Go back to your reduction, whisk 2 Tbsp of butter into it, heat gently (don't boil), and add salt until you like the flavor.

    Plate everything and eat.