Individual Beef or Scallop Wellingtons - Rachael Ray

This is based on Rachael Ray's recipe for Wellingtons ("Well Deserved, Well Dressed Individual Beef Wellingtons"), but I've also made them with sea scallops in addition to beef and they were astoundingly delicious. :) This is a *very* romantic dinner item. *grin* My husband was a big fan of this dish!!

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄3 cup  minced shallot
• 1  cup  diced fresh button mushroom
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 2  tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 (3 ounce)  beef  filet mignon (or 1 beef and 2 scallops to make two different kinds) or 2 (3 ounce)  beef tenderloin, about 1-inch thick (or 1 beef and 2 scallops to make two different kinds) or 4  large sea scallops (or 1 beef and 2 scallops to make two different kinds)
• 4  ounces  sliced  pate, cut in half vertically (use your favorite pate, chicken, pork, or duck mousse)
• 1⁄2 sheet  frozen prepared puff pastry, thawed, cut in half
• 1  egg, beaten
• 1  tablespoon water
• 1  tablespoon  minced fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Melt together the butter and oil over medium heat in a small skillet.
3. Add the shallot and mushrooms, season to taste with salt and pepper, and sauté until mushrooms are browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Add the sherry, stir well, and sauté until sherry evaporates; remove from heat.
5. Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sear both sides of the pieces of beef (leaving the middles rare) and/or the scallops; set aside and keep warm.
6. Mix together the beaten egg and water to make an egg wash.
7. On a lightly floured board, roll out each piece of the puff pastry until they're about 10"x6" big; cut a thin strip, about 1/8th inch thick, from the 6-inch ends of the pastries and set aside for decorative purposes.
8. On each piece of pastry, place half of the mushroom mixture, top with half of the pate, and then either 1 piece of seared beef or 2 seared scallops.
9. Brush the perimeter of the pastry with the egg wash.
10. Gather two opposite corners of the dough together, then the other two, and twist the 4 corners to seal.
11. Loosely tie the reserved strips around the top of each Wellington.
12. Transfer Wellingtons to a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet (a non-stick baking pan should be okay, too), then brush each Wellington well with the egg wash and sprinkle with minced basil.
13. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until they've turned a golden brown to your preference; remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes.
14. Serve and enjoy!