Morning Glory : A Red-Blooded Breakfast

Sometimes the only breakfast that will do is more or less a dinner. A real stick-to-the-ribs, meat-and-potatoes meal.

You could just cook up a steak and some American-style home-fried potatoes. Or a skillet of camp potatoes, crusty and brown on the bottom. Or just about any kind of potatoes, come to think of it, just as long as the steak is in there too.

Or you could take careful aim in the French mannner. You could make sure those potatoes are perfectly cooked, and work in a flavorful wine sauce for the steak. And then have the whole family over for breakfast, because the following recipes both serve six.

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Pan-Fried Sirloin Steak With

Marchand de Vin Sauce

Catalan-Style Sauteed Potatoes

Coffee

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This French-style steak with red wine sauce is adapted from “Michael Field’s Cooking School” (William Morrow). Both steak and butter should be at room temperature when cooking begins.

PAN-FRIED SIRLOIN STEAK WITH MARCHAND DE VIN SAUCE

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 (3 1/2-pound) top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick

Salt, pepper

10 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 scant tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Red Wine Reduction

In large heavy skillet heat oil and butter over high heat until smoking. Lay steak in pan and sear 1 minute. Turn over with kitchen tongs and sear 1 minute on opposite side. Reduce heat to medium and fry until meat is medium rare (slightly resistant when pressed with finger), about 5 minutes on each side. Remove to heated platter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cream butter in mixer or with large wooden spoon. Beat in flour. Beat in lemon juice, few drops at time. Stir in parsley. Remove Red Wine Reduction from heat and stir in creamed butter 1 tablespoon at time. Return to heat and cook until thickened. Cut steak into serving portions and serve with sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

766 calories; 415 mg sodium; 200 mg cholesterol; 62 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 39 grams protein; 0.12 gram fiber.

Red Wine Reduction

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

2 1/2 cups dry red wine

1 bay leaf

10 peppercorns

1 clove garlic, peeled

In small saucepan, melt butter, stir in shallots and cook over moderate heat 3 minutes. Do not let brown. Add wine, bay leaf, peppercorns and garlic. Bring wine to boil, reduce heat and simmer until wine has reduced to 1/3 original volume.

Strain through fine sieve into small mixing bowl, pressing hard on shallots and garlic with back of spoon. Return strained wine to saucepan and keep warm.

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These hearty potates are from Julia Child’s “From Julia Child’s Kitchen” (Knopf).

POMMES DE TERRE SAUTEES A LA CATALANE

(Catalan-Style Sauteed Potatoes)

4 to 6 medium potatoes

1/4 cup salt pork, optional

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup sliced onion

1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup sliced green pepper

Salt, pepper

1/4 teaspoon thyme, rosemary or mixed dried herbs such as herbes de Provence

Wash potatoes and steam, covered closely in vegetable steamer or sieve set over saucepan of boiling water, until almost tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile cut salt pork into matchsticks, drop in 1 quart cold water and simmer 5 minutes. Drain, rinse and pat dry. Saute slowly in olive oil over low heat in heavy medium skillet until very lightly browned.

Add onion to olive oil in skillet, cover and cook slowly over low heat until onions are tender. Stir in garlic, green pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Saute until green pepper is almost tender. Add potato slices, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Toss potatoes in skillet. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, tossing and turning several times, until potatoes are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Each of 4 servings contains about:

157 calories; 81 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.64 gram fiber.