BEEF WELLINGTON WITH PUFF PASTRY RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
• Sit the 1kg beef fillet on a roasting tray, brush with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with pepper, then roast for 15 mins for medium-rare or 20 mins for medium. When the beef is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven to cool, then chill in the fridge for about 20 mins.
• While the beef is cooling, chop 250g chestnut (and wild, if you like) mushrooms as finely as possible so they have the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. You can use a food processor to do this, but make sure you pulse-chop the mushrooms so they don’t become a slurry.
• Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil and 50g butter in a large pan and fry the mushrooms on a medium heat, with 1 large sprig fresh thyme, for about 10 mins stirring often, until you have a softened mixture.
• Season the mushroom mixture, pour over 100ml dry white wine and cook for about 10 mins until all the wine has been absorbed. The mixture should hold its shape when stirred.
• Remove the mushroom duxelle from the pan to cool and discard the thyme.
• Overlap two pieces of cling film over a large chopping board. Lay 12 slices prosciutto on the cling film, slightly overlapping, in a double row.
• Spread half the duxelles over the prosciutto, then sit the fillet on it and spread the remaining duxelles over.
• Use the cling film’s edges to draw the prosciutto around the fillet, then roll it into a sausage shape, twisting the ends of cling film to tighten it as you go.
• Chill the fillet while you roll out the pastry.
• Dust your work surface with a little flour. Roll out a third of the 500g pack of puff pastry to a 18 x 30cm strip and place on a non-stick baking sheet.
• Roll out the remainder of the 500g pack of puff pastry to about 28 x 36cm.
• Unravel the fillet from the cling film and sit it in the centre of the smaller strip of pastry.
• Beat the 2 egg yolks with 1 tsp water and brush the pastry’s edges, and the top and sides of the wrapped fillet.
• Using a rolling pin, carefully lift and drape the larger piece of pastry over the fillet, pressing well into the sides.
• Trim the joins to about a 4cm rim. Seal the rim with the edge of a fork or spoon handle.
• Glaze all over with more egg yolk and, using the back of a knife, mark the beef Wellington with long diagonal lines taking care not to cut into the pastry.
• Chill for at least 30 mins and up to 24 hrs. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• Brush the Wellington with a little more egg yolk and cook until golden and crisp – 20-25 mins for medium-rare beef, 30 mins for medium. Allow to stand for 10 mins before serving in thick slices.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
• Season the beef with salt and pepper. Place a large frying pan over a high heat, add the oil and fry the beef on all sides until browned. Transfer to a baking tray and roast in the oven for 15–18 minutes. Turn the oven off and remove the beef. Leave to cool, reserving any cooking juices, and then chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour (see tip).
• Next make the topping. Melt the butter in the same pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for 5–10 minutes – you may need to do this in batches. Tip the mushrooms into a sieve set over a bowl to collect the juices and reserve these for the sauce. Transfer the mushrooms to another bowl and allow to cool before mixing with the Parmesan, tarragon, mustard and egg yolk. Season with salt and pepper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Sit the single 375g packet of pastry on a floured work surface and roll out to a square about 40cm/16in in size, then transfer it to the baking sheet. Place the cooked beef to one side of the pastry and spoon the mushroom mixture on top. Fold over the ends of the pastry and then fold the longest edge over the beef, sealing along the side with a little of the egg wash. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. While it is chilling, preheat the oven again to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
• Brush the top of the chilled beef Wellington with egg wash. Roll out the remaining half block of pastry and cut into 8 thin strips: lay 4 strips diagonally, and evenly spaced, across the top of the beef Wellington, and 4 strips across these to create a lattice pattern. Brush the lattice with egg wash and then roast in the oven for 30–35 minutes or until the pastry is golden-brown and crisp.
• Meanwhile, make the tarragon sauce. Melt the butter in the same frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for 5–10 minutes or until the juices evaporate. Sprinkle in the flour and add the crème fraîche with the reserved mushroom juices (from the topping), the mustard and tarragon. Season with salt, pepper and sugar and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 3 minutes until reduced slightly and add any beef juices from the original baking tray. Keep hot.
• Allow the beef Wellington to rest, covered with foil, for 15 minutes before carving. Slice into thick slices and serve with the hot tarragon sauce.