Рецепт Valentine's Day Dinner: Beef Wellington
We have a tradition for Valentine's Day. I love to cook and I can think of nothing less romantic than an overcrowded restaurant and an overpriced meal, so each year I cook for Valentine's Day.
This year, I gave hubby a selection of recipes to choose from and he pointed to a pic of Beef Wellington. "Let's have that!"
OK then.
Of course, being a curious chappie, Nic wanted to know why it is called Beef Wellington so I have done a little research. Short answer: no one really knows. Some say it was named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Others say it was simply a nice patriotic name for a French dish at a time when Wellesley was kicking Napoleon's butt on the battlefield. And then some say it's names after the boots! (Not seeing that one myself).
Anyway, history lesson over. On to the food. It's actually a much less complicated dish than I expected and as I share the recipe, I'll also share my tips for making it even easier.
You need:
1 lb beef tenderloin fillet - I could not find this at my local store (how I miss English butchers) so I used a top round steak which worked wonderfully.
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 lb mushrooms (The original recipe called for cremini but I used mini bellas)
- 4 thin slices prosciutto
- 2 Tbs mustard (this is where you can subtly play with the flavor of the dish - I used my stout mustard)
- 7 oz puff pastry
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan on high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear the fillet in the pan on all sides until well browned. You don't want to cook it through but you want to seal the meat. Remove the fillet from the pan and let cool. Once cooled, brush with mustard.
Chop the mushrooms and puree in a food processor. Heat a large pan on medium high heat. Scrape the mushroom puree into the pan and cook down, allowing the mushrooms to release their moisture. When the moisture has boiled away, let the mushrooms cool.
Take a large piece of plastic wrap. Lay the slices of ham on the plastic wrap so that they overlap. Spread the mushroom mixture over the ham. Place the beef fillet in the middle and CAREFULLY roll the mushroom and ham over the fillet, using the plastic wrap. This is probably the trickiest part. Wrap up the beef fillet twisting the ends of the plastic wrap to secure. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Roll out the puff pastry sheet to a size that will wrap around the beef fillet. Unwrap the fillet from the plastic wrap and place in the middle of the pastry dough. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten eggs. Fold the pastry around the fillet, cutting off any excess at the ends. Chill for 5-10 minutes. Place the pastry-wrapped fillet on a baking pan. NOW: this is all very well but then you are trying to move a rather delicate pastry package from place to place without it breaking. My advice is to put it in the baking tray as you roll it.
Brush the exposed surface again with beaten eggs. Score the pastry with a sharp knife, not going all the way through. Bake for 25-35 minutes. The pastry should be nicely golden when done and the meat should be a nice medium rare. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
The following recipe for Bordelaise Sauce was the accompaniment. I'll be honest - I found it a touch too rich. Next time, I'll just use a nice mushroom gravy.
In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt 3 tbs butter. Add 1 tbs onion until tender. Stir in 3 tbs flour; cook until lightly browned. Add parsley, thyme, and black pepper. Slowly stir in one 10-1/2 oz can condensed beef broth, 1/2 cup red wine, and 1/4 cup water. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens.
We had our Beef Wellington with scalloped potatoes and vegetables. Very nice and leftovers tonight.
Come back tomorrow to see what we had for dessert.