Boeuf En Croute Or Beef Wellington Food

BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
• Sit the 1kg beef fillet on a roasting tray, brush with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with pepper, then roast for 15 mins for medium-rare or 20 mins for medium. When the beef is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven to cool, then chill in the fridge for about 20 mins.
• While the beef is cooling, chop 250g chestnut (and wild, if you like) mushrooms as finely as possible so they have the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. You can use a food processor to do this, but make sure you pulse-chop the mushrooms so they don't become a slurry.
• Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil and 50g butter in a large pan and fry the mushrooms on a medium heat, with 1 large sprig fresh thyme, for about 10 mins stirring often, until you have a softened mixture.
• Season the mushroom mixture, pour over 100ml dry white wine and cook for about 10 mins until all the wine has been absorbed. The mixture should hold its shape when stirred.
• Remove the mushroom duxelle from the pan to cool and discard the thyme.
• Overlap two pieces of cling film over a large chopping board. Lay 12 slices prosciutto on the cling film, slightly overlapping, in a double row.
• Spread half the duxelles over the prosciutto, then sit the fillet on it and spread the remaining duxelles over.
• Use the cling film's edges to draw the prosciutto around the fillet, then roll it into a sausage shape, twisting the ends of cling film to tighten it as you go.
• Chill the fillet while you roll out the pastry.
• Dust your work surface with a little flour. Roll out a third of the 500g pack of puff pastry to a 18 x 30cm strip and place on a non-stick baking sheet.
• Roll out the remainder of the 500g pack of puff pastry to about 28 x 36cm.
• Unravel the fillet from the cling film and sit it in the centre of the smaller strip of pastry.
• Beat the 2 egg yolks with 1 tsp water and brush the pastry's edges, and the top and sides of the wrapped fillet.
• Using a rolling pin, carefully lift and drape the larger piece of pastry over the fillet, pressing well into the sides.
• Trim the joins to about a 4cm rim. Seal the rim with the edge of a fork or spoon handle.
• Glaze all over with more egg yolk and, using the back of a knife, mark the beef Wellington with long diagonal lines taking care not to cut into the pastry.
• Chill for at least 30 mins and up to 24 hrs. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• Brush the Wellington with a little more egg yolk and cook until golden and crisp - 20-25 mins for medium-rare beef, 30 mins for medium. Allow to stand for 10 mins before serving in thick slices.

BOEUF EN CROUTE OR BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper; heat half the oil and butter in a pan and brown beef on all sides. Place in roasting pan, dot with remaining butter and roast for 10 minutes -- longer if you want it more well done.
• Remove and let stand until cooled. Remove string.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Place paté in a bowl and beat until smooth.
• Roll out puff pastry 1/2 inch thick, large enough to completely envelop the roast.
• Spread paté over top and sides of filet. Place filet, paté side down on pastry. Spread remaining paté on the top of the filet.
• Brush one side of the pastry with egg. Fold unbrushed over meat; fold together and press.
• Brush entire pastry with egg and bake for 40 minutes -- increasing by 5 minutes for more well done.

FILET DE BOEUF EN CROUTE (BEEF WELLINGTON)

Steps:

• A day ahead, make the pastry. Place flour into a food processor. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces and drop one by one into the flour to coat. Pulse about 5 times until butter is finely chopped. Combine the eggs, oil, 1 tablespoon water and the salt and blend with a fork. With the food processor running, pour the egg mixture in and process until dough starts to form. Stop and scrape the sides and bottom. Process just until the dough forms shiny, damp clumps, adding about 1 tablespoon more water if necessary. Turn out onto a work surface and knead lightly to make a smooth ball. Flatten into a 1 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a food-storage bag. Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, let the dough set at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle the fillet with salt and pepper. Spread the ground sausage on top, sprinkle with the truffle pieces (if using) and pat them into the sausage.
• Roll out pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Place the fillet, sausage side down, almost in the center of the dough. Beat 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Fold up one long side of the pastry so that it almost covers the bottom of the fillet. Brush 1 1/2 inch of the long edge with some egg-yolk mixture. Trim the other long edge so that it just reaches over the brushed portion, and fold it up. Press lightly to seal. Flip the pastry-wrapped fillet. Seal the ends, moistening them with yolk mixture so they stick together.
• Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush pastry twice with the remaining egg-yolk mixture. Cut several slits in the top for air vents. Refrigerate while preheating the oven.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake fillet until the internal temperature registers 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 35 minutes for medium-rare. If the pastry browns too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of parchment paper.
• Let fillet cool for 15 minutes before cutting it into thick slices. Serve warm.