valentine's day recipe:

beef wellington (per person)

ingredients

beef tenderloin piece/steak 150 gm
onions 1 pc
white button mushrooms 50 gm
puff pastry sheet (20cm square) 1 pc

production

1. Trim tenderloin if necessary, though this should have been done by your butcher
2. Heat pan with a little oil, place in the steak and quickly brown on all sides
3. Remove from pan and allow to rest in the refrigerator
4. Finely chop onions and mushrooms by hand or pulse in food processor separately
5. Lightly cook onions in some butter (over a low heat) with no colour and add mushrooms, allow to sweat until cooked
6. If necessary squeeze out in a tea-towel to remove all moisture: this is called a 'duxelle' and must be as dry as possible or the pastry will become soggy when baked
7. Lay out the puff pastry and lay some duxelle in the center of the puff pastry
8. Place tenderloin on top and cover with remaining duxelle
   
   Practice this next process before egg-washing and trim pastry if required
   
   
9. Brush edges of pastry with egg-wash (a little egg mixed with milk)
10. Bring the edge closest to you plus the left hand one together, press lightly to seal
11. Bring the edge furthest away to you plus the right hand one together, press lightly to seal
12. Bring these two together and seal
13. Place this neat parcel on a lightly greased and floured tray
14. Place in the middle of an pre heated oven (200ºC)
15. Check after 10 minutes and brush with the egg-wash, this will give the pastry a nice even colour and a light glaze
16. Bake for a further of 20 - 30 minutes, covering with tin foil during this period if required to prevent burning
17. Allow to rest for 10 minutes in a warm place after removing from oven before serving
18. Serve with a Madeira or Hollandaise sauce, some new potatoes and steamed baby carrots or a tossed side salad

chef notes:

A little paté can be added to the duxelle or foie gras, Stilton cheese or a hint of garlic to taste.

Because of its lack of internal fat and connective tissue, fillet steak tends to shrink a lot less than other steaks.

When cooking fillet steak it really is best served no more than medium. Again because of its lack of internal fat and connective tissue

email chef@tallyrand.info