Tournedos Henri IV

Cut the tenderloin into steaks two and a half inches in diameter and about an inch thick.

Blanch the bacon in simmering water 10 minutes to tame its saltiness and smokiness.

Variation: one steak is wrapped in blanched bacon per the recipe and one in unblanched bacon, as a side by side test.

Wrap the bacon around each steak and tie it in place with string; refrigerate until needed.

For the blanching solution, beat a quarter cup of flour with a little cold water to a paste in a saucepan, then beat in the rest of the water to about a quart, with the lemon juice and salt, and bring to a boil. It is for preliminary cooking of anything that discolors easily.

Cut the stems off the artichokes, tear the leaves off, cut off the remaining cone of leaves and trim away all the green to expose the tender white bottom, rubbing with lemon juice to stop it discoloring.

Simmer the artichoke bottoms in the solution 30 minutes until tender, then let them cool in the liquid.

Lift out, wash under cold water and pull out the furry choke.

Salt and pepper the bottoms, heat a tablespoon and a half of butter in a baking casserole dish, add the bottoms and baste them in the butter.

Cover with buttered parchment paper and heat through in a preheated 325F oven for 20 minutes.

Take the steaks out of the fridge half an hour before cooking so they cook evenly.

For the bearnaise, boil the vinegar, dry white wine, minced shallot, minced tarragon, pepper and a pinch of salt down to two tablespoons, then cool.

In a clean cool saucepan beat three egg yolks about a minute until thick and sticky.

Strain in two tablespoons of the vinegar reduction and beat it in.

Over very low heat whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter until melted, a minute or two; if it thickens too fast or looks lumpy, plunge the pan into cold water.

Whisk in a second tablespoon of cold butter until the bottom of the pan shows between strokes and the mixture forms a light cream on the whisk.

Off the heat, add a third tablespoon of cold butter to halt the cooking of the eggs.

With the heat off, pour in half a cup of melted butter by the droplets, a quarter teaspoon at a time, then more rapidly once it turns to a heavy cream, leaving the milky residue behind.

Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper and stir in two tablespoons of minced tarragon.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of butter and a little oil in a carbon steel pan; when the butter foam subsides it is ready for searing.

Sear the steaks one at a time, two and a half minutes a side where the recipe says three to four, basting throughout and searing the bacon on the sides too, adding thirty seconds more if needed.

Pour off the sauteing fats, add a quarter cup each of beef stock and Madeira wine and boil down to three tablespoons, scraping up the coagulated fond.

Set each steak on two canapes of baguette sauteed in clarified butter, cut the string off, spoon the Madeira sauce over, set an artichoke bottom on top and fill it with the bearnaise.

Decorate the platter with parsley buttered potatoes and asparagus tips and serve immediately with a good red bordeaux.