Beef Wellington

Sherrie-pie's Note:

I make this every year as part of our Christmas meal. The meat is expensive but it goes so far. The recipe says 4 - 6 but those are very generous servings. It slices into nice thin slices which look good on your plate. This impressive dish is really easy to make. Roasting the beef the day before leaves the oven free for the turkey (which no one in my household eats but "we have to have a turkey!") I seldom have leftovers - unlike the never ending turkey. I used to order my beef from the butcher but he's gone to the great abbatoir in the sky and the supermarket butcher prepares it for me now, with a week's warning. From Classic Meat Dishes.

• Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 kg filet of beef , trimmed
• 40 g butter , softened
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 225 g mushrooms , chopped
• salt and pepper
• 400 g packet frozen puff pastry , defrosted
• beaten egg , to glaze

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Pat the beef dry with absorbent paper and spread with 15g (1/2 oz) of the butter. Place in a roasting tin and roast for 40 minutes,b asting occasionally. Remove and leave until cold.
2. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 15 minutes until some of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat, season and leave until cold.
3. Increase oven temperature to 230C/450F/Gas8. Roll out the pastry into a rectangle large enough to enclose the beef. Place on a baking sheet.
4. Spread half the mushroom mixture down the centre of the pastry. Place the beef on top, then top with the remaining mushroom mixture. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg and wrap the pastry round the meat, pressing the long edges together firmly and tucking in the short ends to seal. Use trimmings to make pastry leaves to decorate.
5. Brush all over with beaten egg, then cook in the oven for about 40 minutes, cover with foil for the last 10 minutes so the pastry stays golden brown. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish and serve.

Reviews

[mrdisney1959]

I love the simplicity of this version. The only other one that is easier uses a boxed stuffing mix for the onionsand mushrooms. Great job here.

[Chef Beaver]

One word.....heavenly.