Festive Fillet Of Beef Food

FILLET OF BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7.
• Get the meat out of the fridge and leave to come up to room temperature before you cook it. Cover the porcini with 300ml of boiling water and leave to rehydrate for 5 minutes.
• Peel and finely chop 2 of the garlic cloves, then place in a large frying pan on a high heat with a knob of the butter. Add the porcini and half the soaking liquor, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, or until thick and syrupy.
• Squeeze in the lemon juice, stir in the remaining butter, and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Leave to cool slightly.
• Drizzle the beef with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with black pepper. Sear in a sturdy roasting tray over a medium heat on the hob until browned all over, then remove from the heat.
• Lay out the slices of prosciutto on a large piece of greaseproof paper, overlapping them slightly, making a sheet big enough to wrap around the fillet.
• Spread the mushroom mixture lengthways over one half of the prosciutto, then sit the beef on top. Carefully roll up, tuck in the ends, then discard the paper. Secure with butcher's string.
• Squash the remaining unpeeled garlic cloves and put into the roasting tray with the herbs, then carefully place the beef on top. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes for rare, 30 to 35 minutes for medium, or 40 minutes for well done.
• When the time's up, remove the meat to a board to rest for 5 minutes, pouring any juices back into the tray.
• Transfer the tray to a medium-high heat on the hob, pour in the wine and the remaining porcini soaking liquor (discarding just the last gritty bit) and simmer to your desired consistency, scraping up all the goodness from the bottom of the tray.
• Remove from the heat, and sieve before serving, if you like - I also like to whisk in an extra knob of butter for maximum silkiness.
• Carve up the beef and serve drizzled with the red wine sauce - delicious with celeriac and potato mash, and steamed greens.

FILET OF BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Place the beef on a baking sheet and pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Spread the butter on with your hands. Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for exactly 22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium-rare.
• Remove the beef from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove the strings and slice the filet thickly.

BEEF FILLET WITH HORSERADISH & PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large frying pan and fry the beef fillet for 5 mins, turning it to seal and brown it all over. Remove from the pan and leave to cool. Add the shallots to the buttery meat juices and cook, stirring, until softened and golden. Turn off the heat and tip out two-thirds of the shallots into a bowl. Add the horseradish and some black pepper to the bowl, then blitz with a hand blender to make a coarse purée.
• Meanwhile, pour the red wine and stock into the pan with the remaining shallots. Blend the cornflour with 3 tbsp water, add to the pan with the redcurrant jelly, and stir until thickened. Season to taste and allow to bubble for at least 5 mins until it has become a sauce. Cool and chill until ready to serve.
• Lay 8 slices of prosciutto in 2 overlapping rows. Spread the horseradish mixture on top and scatter evenly with the herbs. Place the fillet on top, cover the ends with the last 2 slices, and tightly wrap the prosciutto around the beef. Chill until ready to cook.
• Remove the beef from the fridge at least 30 mins before you are ready to cook it. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the meat on a baking-parchment-lined baking tray and roast for 30-40 mins, depending on how well done you like it. (To test how done the beef is, insert a digital thermometer into the centre - it should read 50C for rare, 55C for medium rare and 60C for medium.) Leave to rest for 10-15 mins, then carefully slice with a very sharp knife and serve with the wine sauce. Scatter with extra thyme, if you like.

FESTIVE FISH FILLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.
• Combine cilantro, garlic, lemon juice and 2 tbl. olive oil. Place in dish or plastic bag, and add fish fillets. Be sure fish is coated in marinade. Marinate for about 30 min., while completing rest of dish.
• Grease baking dish with 1 tbl. olive oil. Distribute sliced onions on bottom, top with chopped tomato, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes - onions should be soft.
• Place fillets on tops of onion/tomatoes and drizzle marinade on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return to oven and bake until fish is flaky, about 30 minutes.
• Serve with rice or couscous.
• Note: Cooking time will depend on thickness of fillet. If you use very thin fillets, you may need to remove them earlier and keep them warm, and return the onion/tomato mix to the oven. Total oven time should be about one hour.

SPICED ROAST BEEF

Steps:

• Combine all the spices and ½ tbsp salt together in a pestle and mortar. Give everything a good grind, keeping a little of its coarseness. Rub the oil and then the ground spices all over the beef and massage in well. Cover and chill overnight to marinate.
• Next day, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Weigh your joint and roast for 10 mins per 450g for rare meat and 15 mins per 450g for medium, plus an extra 20 mins. Cover and rest for 20 mins while you finish the salads, then slice and serve. Alternatively, roast the beef in the morning and serve at room temperature for dinner.