We have some good friends that we were having over for dinner. I like to have dinner parties, so this was not abnormal.
This dinner party was different in that our one friend had requested I make a Beef Wellington. He had read about them, seen them made on TV, but had never actually had one.
He was eager to try it, so I though why not. I have made Wellington before. This recipe, from my 50’s recipe box, wasn’t all that different.
And honestly, the recipe isn’t all that difficult. People are afraid of it. I think in part this is because of Gordon Ramsey and Hell’s Kitchen.
I did have some difficulty finding pâte. I ended up making my own. This is not all that difficult - boil liver with onions and a little salt and pepper. Then run everything through a food mill. Obviously you can add other things to make it look or taste better, but I knew I just needed something basic for this recipe.
The mushroom duxelles is also pretty simple to make. Sauté mushrooms, shallots and wine until there is no liquid left. The key is to dicing the mushrooms evenly and tiny. The smaller the pieces the easier it is to get them to stick to the pâte.
Yes, I should have made my own puff pastry. But I was short on time, so I used premade. Ultimately, you are eating this for the beef, not the pastry.
Fifteen minutes was the perfect amount of time, the wellingtons came out a beautiful mid-rare.
And my guests were very impressed.
BEEF WELLINGTON
4 Portions (6 Ounce Each) Beef Tenderloin
2 Tablespoons Butter
4 Teaspoons Finely Chopped Shallots
1/2 Pound Mushrooms, Finely Chopped
1 Tablespoons Burgundy Wine
2 1/2 Ounces Chicken or Goose Liver Pate
17 Ounces Frozen Puff Pastry Dough, Defrosted
1 Egg Yolk
1 Teaspoon Water
Beat egg yolk with water. Season meat with salt and pepper. In a heavy frypan quickly sear on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Turn heat to low, add butter, shallots, mushrooms and wine. Cook and stir until the liquid is gone and the mixture is soft. Spread 1 tablespoon pate over each fillet. Then spread and pat 1/4 cup of mushroom mixture over pate. Carefully wrap each fillet in pastry dough, stretching and rolling the dough as needed. Pinch edges to seal. Brush with beaten egg yolk. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Comments