Beef Wellington
Served with fondant potatoes and green vegetables

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4):
1.5kg Beef Fillet
2 puff pastry sheets
6 Large Escallion Shallots
500g Chestnut Mushrooms
4 large baking potatoes
400g Bresaola (sliced)
200ml Red Wine
200g Asparagus spears
250g Purple Sprouting Broccoli
250g Butter
Thyme (fresh)
Rosemary (fresh)
Tarragon (fresh)
Sage (fresh)
​Garlic
Salt
Pepper

METHOD:

• Heat approx 50g of butter in a pan, on medium-high heat, and add a splash of olive oil to stop the butter from burning.
• While the butter melts season the beef with salt and pepper, on all sides.
• Once the butter begins to froth, turn the heat down to medium, add a couple of sprigs of thyme and sear the beef fillet on all sides.
• Below are rough timings based on the desired result at the end of cooking (times will depend on the thickness of the joint).
  • Rare: 2-3min on each side.
  • Medium/Rare: 4-5min on each side.
  • Medium: 6-7min on each side.

• Once the beef is seared, remove from the pan and set aside to rest.
• Once rested for 5-10 min wrap the joint tightly in clingfilm and place in the fridge.

• While the beef is cooling in the fridge, finely chop the shallots and mushrooms.
• Add approx. 25g of butter to a clean pan with a dash of olive oil and melt over a low-medium heat.
• Once frothy add half of the chopped shallots and set the rest aside for use later.
• Soften the shallots until they turn opaque. (5-10min)

• Once the shallots are softened, add the chopped mushrooms, parsley and thyme leaves. Stir to mix together.
  • Note: If the pan is looking a little dry then add some extra butter.
• Cook the mushroom and shallot mix until the consistency is similar to a paste, stirring regularly. (20-30 min) 
  • The objective here, is to remove as much of the water from the mushrooms and shallots as possible, so that when they are added to the beef they will not result in soggy pastry.
  • This mixture is called Duxelles.

• While the mushrooms and shallots are cooking take the pastry rolls out of the fridge.
• Once the mushrooms and shallots are done remove from the heat and set aside.
• Lay the pastry sheet out on top of a piece of clingfilm (ensure there is plenty of excess clingfim to wrap the joint in) and top with slices of Bresaola, leaving a border of a couple of centimeters around the edge (with a slightly larger border at one end).

• Now spread the Duxells over the bresaola, saving a quarter.

• Take the beef joint out of the fridge and remove the clingfilm
• Place the beef joint in the middle of the Duxelles, top with the remaining Duxelles and cover with Bresaola.

• Wrap the beef joint with the rest of the Bresaola, one side at a time, making sure to overlap the slices and to cover both ends of the joint.
  • Use the clingfilm to do this.
• Then place the second pastry sheet over the top of the wrapped beef joint and press down to form a tight seal at the bottom
  
• Wrap the whole thing in the clingfilm and place in the fridge.

• ​Take the potatoes and either using a knife, or a pastry cutter, cut them into cylinders of roughly the same size and height.
• In a clean, oven-safe pan, heat approx. 50g of butter with a splash of oil over a medium/high heat.
  • Ensure the pan you are using is safe to go in the oven.
• Once the butter is foaming place each potato in the pan standing up.

• While the potatoes are cooking, make a litre of stock and pre-heat your oven to 200°C.
  • You can use any stock you like here. I tend to use a combination made in equal parts of either beef, lamb or chicken with vegetable.
• Cook the potatoes on each end until golden brown.

• Once the potatoes are nice and golden on each end, pour in the stock so that it covers half of the potatoes and add some crushed garlic cloves, a couple of sprigs of thyme and a sprig of tarragon.

• Once you have added the stock, place the pan in the oven.
  • They should be basted with the stock occasionally to stop the tops from burning.
  • If, when you take them out to baste the stock levels are low then top up to halfway up the potatoes again.
• Remove the pastry wrapped beef joint from the fridge and place on the side.
• Roll out the other pastry sheet and cut into strips roughly 2cm wide.
• Lay the strips across the joint in a lattice pattern.
• Crack the egg into a bowl and scramble with a fork and place the Wellington on a piece of greased baking parchment, on a baking tray.
  • Note: in the image I have used foil rather than baking parchment. This works, but is a second choice. If you have baking parchment, I recommend using it.
• Cover the Wellington with the egg wash ensuring to get into all the nooks of the lattice and then place in the oven (above the potatoes but not too high or the pastry will burn).
  • Cooking times are as follows: 10min at 200°C, then 20-25min at 180°C.
  • Keep checking on the pastry to ensure it doesn't burn.
    

• Once the Wellington is in the oven, add 50g of butter to a pan over a medium-high heat until it melts
• Add the remaining shallots to the pan and soften (approx. 5min).
• Add the red wine to the shallots and reduce by at least half.

• Remove the potatoes from the oven and ensure they are fully cooked.
  • They should be crisp on top and fell soft when squeezed gently.
• When fully cooked, remove the potatoes from the pan and set aside. Pour most of the stock into the pan with the shallots and red wine.
  • I transfer all of the herbs and garlic to the shallot pan too. The more flavour the better!
• Return the potatoes back to the stock and place back in the oven and, if the wellington is done, lower the temperature and take the Wellington out of the oven to rest.
  • The reason the potatoes go back in is to keep them warm while you finish the rest.

• Once the Wellington is out resting, add butter and salt and pepper to a clean pan over a medium-high heat.
• Add the Asparagus and broccoli to the pan and cook for 5min.
• Once done, remove from the pan and start to plate up.
• Take the sauce of the heat and strain through a sieve.
  • You should be left with a shiny, deep burgundy sauce which is full of flavour.
• Add one potato, a handful of green veg and a slice of the beef wellington to the plate.
  • I like to take the wellington to the table on a chopping board to slice it in front of the guests, who doesn't like a bit of theatre?!
• Finish with a drizzle of the sauce and enjoy!