Beef Wellington is a simple dish to
make but there are cooks out there who just won't attempt it. I
suppose it's the thought of ruining a whole fillet of beef in just
one go. The expense of it AND not just the beef but the dinner too –
there's the chance the whole evening could go down the gurgler.
But, for those who dare, the following
method is pretty much a foolproof way to successfully cook and
present one of the world's classiest and classic dishes.
Take your whole fillet and trim it of
any excess fat and any white sinewy pieces. If there's a skinny
piece at one end cut it off and save it for another day. The beef
fillet should be of even thickness throughout.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive
oil in a pan and sear the beef all over. This means all sides and
both ends. Do this quickly then remove the beef onto a plate. Paint
the top and sides with mustard of your choice and place in the
refrigerator to cool.
Now comes the decision of what you
would like to include in the pastry along with the meat. You could
use a smooth paté
and some sliced mushrooms or one or the other. Some spinach would be
good for colour, too. If you choose to include mushrooms whizz about
500gm of them up in a food processor then sweat them in a pan with no
oil until the water evaporates.
Lay a large piece of cling film on the
bench and gather the chosen ingredients around you .
Lay as many slices of prosciutto on top
of the cling film, short ends facing you, so they will cover the
entire length of the fillet.
Spread, alternating layers of
paté/or/and
mushrooms and fresh spinach leaves all over the prosciutto.
Lay the whole fillet on top and roll up
with the aid of the cling film.
Twist the ends of the cling film,
torchon style, as tight as you can and put it in the fridge for 1
hour or over night.
Remove the fillet from the fridge.
Lay a piece of cling film on the bench.
Lay a sheet of puff pastry on top of the cling film large enough to
enclose the whole fillet or if necessary join two/four sheets of
pastry together so it is big enough. Lay the unravelled fillet on top
of the pastry. Roll the fillet up in the pastry as tightly as
possible, torchon style, using the cling film as an aid and place in
the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Place a piece of greased baking paper
on a flat oven tray. Unravel the fillet from the cling film, lay it
on the papered tray and make some attractive decorations on the top
with a sharp knife (optional).
Brush the fillet with egg wash and
sprinkle a little sea salt on top.
Cook on 190C for 35 mins or until the
pastry is brown
Rest the cooked fillet for 10 – 15
mins. Slice and serve.
