Beef Wellington

Recipe by Meats & Eats

Ingredients

• 1kg beef fillet
• 300g foie gras
• 700g mushrooms
• 1 sprig thyme
• 100g shallots
• 100ml red wine
• 500g puff pastry
• 50g butter
• 30ml olive oil
• 2 - 3 chive crêpes 

Chive crêpes

• 150g flour
• 2 eggs
• 180ml milk
• 200ml water
• 50g butter
• 20g chives, chopped

Method

1. Start off by making the crêpes. These can be prepared well in advance and stored in the fridge.
2. Blend all the ingredients (except the chives) together to form a smooth mixture. 
3. Pass through a sieve and add the chives and seasoning.
4. Heat a non-stick pan till hot with some oil. Add some of the crêpe mix and swirl around the pan till it evenly coats it. Cook till it comes off the side of the pan and flip it over. Cook for a further 10 seconds and remove from pan to cool.
5. Sear the fillet in a very hot pan and place in the fridge until cold. 
6. Chop the mushrooms in a blender, carefully not to turn them into a paste.
7. Sweat the shallots with the butter in a pan and add the mushrooms and cook out all the water. 
8. When sufficiently dried, add the wine and thyme and cook for a further 3 mins or till wine evaporates. Discard the thyme and set aside to cool. Once cool mix in the fois gras.
9. To start building the wellington lay a sheet of cling film over your work surface and place the crêpes over the cling. You will have to overlap them. 
10. Spread some of the mushroom mix evenly over the crêpes, leaving a 1cm border.
11. Place your seared and chilled fillet in the centre of the mix and spoon the rest of the mushroom mix over the fillet.
12. Take the ends of the cling film and lift around the fillet and tighten by rolling it, twisting the ends of the cling film to tighten as you go. Place back in fridge to set.
13. Roll out your pastry into 25cm x 35cm. Brush the inside with some egg wash.
14. Place the fillet on the pastry slightly off centre. Lift the edges of the pastry and roll them over the fillet and tighten. 
15. Trim the pastry 2cm away from where the edges meet and overlap them carefully and press together; twisting the ends together to help tighten it.
16. Glaze with the egg yolk and place in the fridge to set for at least an hour.
17. Cook in a preheated oven 200ºC for 35-45 mins.
18. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 mins before carving.

Sponsored by Ripasso della Valpolicella 2011

Grapes: Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara Denomination: Denominazione di Origine Controllata Alcohol: 13,5% by vol. Serving temperature: 16°C Colour: garnet red Bouquet: intense aroma Taste: dry velvety taste, with cherry finish, robust and balanced body Serving suggestions: game, roasted red meats and hard mature cheeses