BEEF WELLINGTON

It is the ultimate show-off beef dish, for high days, and holidays. Our “must have” on New years eve.

INGREDIENTS

10g dried porcini mushrooms
50g butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
300g mixed mushrooms (eg chestnut, oyster, shitaake, flat black) roughly chopped or torn
1 sprig of thyme, leaves picked
200ml madeira
2 tablespoon double cream
250g all-butter puff pastry
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
500g beef fillet
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
1 tablespoon poppy seed

METHOD

Preheat the oven, and a baking sheet, to 200C.

Soak the porcini in 150ml boiling water for 20 minutes, then squeeze out and finely chop, reserving the soaking water.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat and cook the shallots until pale golden, then add the mixed mushrooms, porcini and thyme and cook until softened. Pour in 150ml madeira, season, turn up the heat and cook until the wine has evaporated. Take off the heat, and scoop ¾ of the mixture into a bowl. Mix in the double cream, taste for seasoning, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan over a high heat and, when smoking, add the fillet and sear briefly on all sides until crusted. Season well and allow to cool.

Roll out the pastry to a rectangle about 25cm x 30cm and 3mm thick. Brush all over with egg, and then spread with the cream duxelle mixture. Put the beef at one end and carefully roll up, positioning it seam-side down, and then trim the edges and tuck in to seal the parcel, using the tines of a fork to press the edges together. Paint with egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Put on to the hot baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes until golden, then set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Deglaze the beef pan with the remaining madeira and then add the rest of the mushrooms and the porcini soaking liquid and allow to reduce slightly.

Taste, season, and serve with the beef wellington.

Original recipe Felicity Croak writing in the Guardian.