The restaurant sauce that's secretly a one-pan job
Marsala and mushrooms is what good Italian restaurants have been spooning over fillet for generations, and there's a reason: the cut is mild and buttery-tender, and the sauce brings the caramel depth it's quietly asking for. Here's the good news — the whole thing happens in one pan. Sear the medallions, rest them under foil, and while they sit, the mushrooms, Marsala and cream build the sauce on the same browned bits the steaks left behind. Forty minutes, start to plate, and it looks like you booked a table.
Ingredients
- 2 Your Farmer grass-fed eye fillet medallions (about 140g each)
- Salt and pepper to season
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 40g butter, divided
- 250g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
- 1 eschalot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
- 80ml dry Marsala
- 125ml beef stock
- 60ml thickened cream
- Creamy mash or soft polenta, to serve
Instructions
If you've got 15 minutes to spare, let the medallions sit out of the fridge first (optional). Pat them dry and season generously all over.
2 eye fillet medallionssalt and pepperHeat the oil and half the butter in a heavy pan over medium-high heat until foaming. Sear the medallions for 3–4 minutes each side for medium-rare.
1 tbsp olive oil20g butterMove the medallions to a warm plate, cover loosely with foil and rest them while you build the sauce.
Drop the heat to medium. Add the remaining butter and the mushrooms and cook for 5–6 minutes until golden, then stir in the eschalot, garlic and thyme for another minute.
20g butter250g mushrooms1 eschalot2 cloves garlicPour in the Marsala, scraping up the browned bits, and let it bubble down by half — about 2 minutes.
80ml dry MarsalaAdd the stock and simmer for 3–4 minutes, then stir in the cream and any resting juices from the plate. Simmer 2 minutes more until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, and season to taste.
125ml beef stock60ml thickened creamServe the medallions over mash or soft polenta with the mushroom Marsala sauce spooned generously over the top.
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Why Fillet Loves Marsala
The eye fillet is the tenderloin — the muscle that does the least work in the animal's whole life, which is why it's the most tender cut in the pack and the leanest too. Tender and lean sets the rules: hot pan, quick cook, proper rest, and never anywhere near a slow cooker — there's no marbling in reserve to forgive a long braise. It also means the flavour is gentle, and that's not a flaw, it's an invitation. Marsala, Sicily's fortified wine, brings the caramel depth; the mushrooms bring the earth; the cream ties it all together. It's the classic pairing for exactly this cut. Your Farmer® fillet comes as two 140g medallions, and that neat, plate-sized shape is no accident — it comes from our smaller-framed grass-fed cattle (there's a whole story in why smaller cattle make better steaks), and it's just the right thickness to take a hard sear without overshooting the middle.
Swaps and Variations
No Marsala in the cupboard? Dry sherry or Madeira steps in without missing a beat; port works too, though it makes a darker, sweeter sauce. Swiss browns are our pick for flavour — a punnet of eco-grown mushrooms is made for this pan — but buttons or a wild mix are fine. A scotch fillet takes the same treatment with an extra minute a side, and it brings its own richness to the party. And if cream's not your thing, leave it out and whisk a cold knob of butter into the reduced sauce off the heat instead — glossier, lighter, still lovely.
Storage and Leftovers
Raw medallions keep two to three days in the coldest part of the fridge, and if yours arrived frozen, thaw them overnight in the fridge rather than on the bench. Cooked fillet is a cook-tonight, eat-tonight proposition — reheating undoes all that careful medium-rare work — so slice any leftovers cold and thin for tomorrow's steak sandwich with a smear of mustard. The sauce keeps two days in the fridge; warm it gently with a splash of stock to bring it back. The twin pack comes around in the Pack A rotation of our grass-fed beef CSA share, and when there's surplus you'll also find the twin-pack fillet on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Do I use dry or sweet Marsala?
How do I know when the medallions are medium-rare?
Can I make the sauce ahead?
What can I use instead of alcohol?
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