Beef Wellington

Inside a puff pastry case is a succulent piece of prime beef and a rich stuffing of liver pate and mushrooms. The pastry locks in all the juices and ensures none of the wonderful flavours are lost. Serve with a mushroom and red wine gravy.

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 kg (3 lb) beef fillet, trimmed and tied
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 45 g (1½ oz) butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 250 g (8 oz) flat mushrooms, finely chopped
• 175 g (6 oz) smooth liver pate
• 400 g (13 oz) ready-made puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• thin mushroom gravy, to serve (page 268)

METHOD

1. Season the beef with black pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the beef, and cook over a high heat until browned all over.

2. Put the beef fillet in a roasting tin and cookin a preheated oven at 220°C (200°C fan, Gas 7) for 25 minutes for rare beef, 35 minutes for medium, or 40 minutes for well-done. Leave to cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in the frying pan, add the onion and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Increase the heat to high, and cook until the excess moisture has evaporated. Turn into a bowl and leave to cool completely.

4. Add the liver pate to the mushroom and onion mixture, season with salt and pepper, and stir well to combine.

5. Wrap the beef and pate mixture in the pastry:
   
   - Roll out 300 g (10 oz) of the pastry to a 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 in) rectangle. Spread half of the pate mixture down the middle, leaving a 10 cm (4 in) border on each side.
   - Remove the string from the beef and place the beef on the pate mixture. Cover with remaining pate mixture.
   - Brush the pastry border with beaten egg. Fold the short sides of the pastry over the beef.
   - Fold over the long ends and turn the parcel over. Brush with beaten egg. Roll out the remaining pastry, and cut into strips, 5 mm (1/4 in) wide. Arrange in a lattice pattern on top of the pastry, then glaze the strips with beaten egg.
   
   

   

    

6. Bake at 220°C (200°C fan, Gas 7) for 45 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Cover with foil after 30 minutes to prevent the pastry becoming too brown. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve with the gravy.