Individual Beef Wellington W Mushroom Pate Food

CHEF JOHN'S INDIVIDUAL BEEF WELLINGTONS

Steps:

• Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and salt; cook and stir until well browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes. They will be wet and soggy at first but will dry out.
• Add shallots and cook until they soften up and turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add black pepper, cayenne, and white wine. Stir until wine evaporates, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.
• Add pate to cooled mushroom mixture; toss and mash with a spoon until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• Generously season filets with salt and pepper. Melt butter for Wellingtons in the same pan over high heat. Sear, one at a time, in the hot pan until the sides and edges are nicely browned, about 5 minutes per filet. Transfer to a plate and place in the refrigerator until needed.
• Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 squares. Place one square frozen puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Spoon about 3 tablespoons pate mixture into the center and press out to roughly the same size as a filet. Spread 1/2 tablespoon mustard on top of one filet and place mustard-side down on the pate.
• Gently stretch and fold the shorter sides of the pastry around the filet, then bring the longer sides up and over to seal. You can stretch the dough that will be on the bottom of the filet, but try not to stretch it on the sides and top. It's okay to have a couple of small holes at the bottom. Flip Wellington over and place seam-side down on a plate. Repeat to form remaining 3 Wellingtons, then transfer all to the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Cut remaining 4 squares of puff pastry into circles that are roughly the size of the Wellingtons. Place on the prepared sheet pan and poke all over each circle with a fork.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip, and press circles down with a spatula to flatten. Return to the oven and bake until cooked through and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and lift off the sheet pan to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Transfer Wellingtons to the freezer for exactly 15 minutes. Line the same sheet pan with aluminum foil, then top with parchment paper. Beat egg with water in a small bowl.
• When Wellingtons have been in the freezer for 15 minutes, transfer to the prepared pan and generously brush with egg wash.
• Bake pastry in the center of the preheated oven until pastry is golden brown and puffed and filets are cooked through, 23 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 122 degrees F (50 degrees C).
• Immediately remove from the hot pan and transfer onto a plate or cutting board for at least 5 minutes. Cut Wellingtons in half, then trim each end to create a flat surface.
• Place each rounded pastry base on a plate and stand 2 filet halves on top with center cut facing up.

INDIVIDUAL BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• BEEF: Rub each filet with garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute filets in butter 3-4 minutes on each side. Flame brandy, pour over filets (if this freaks you out, don't flame the brandy). Remove filets and chill.
• In the same skillet, saute chopped mushrooms and chill. Mix pate with chilled mushrooms, spread over filets, and refrigerate.
• MUSHROOM SAUCE: Using the same skillet over medium heat, combine onion and sliced mushrooms, stir in flour and gradually add wine, broth and bay leaf. Stir until sauce bubbles and is thickened. Season with salt, pepper and Worcestershire.
• PASTRY: Roll out patty shells or dough and trim into 4 6-inch squares. Brush with egg. Place each filet, pate side down, on pastry. Fold dough completely over filets and seal edges with butter. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet (with a rim) and brush again with egg.
• Pastry may now be garnished with small flowers or leaves made from extra dough and attached using butter or beaten egg. Don't skip this step, it is very impressive looking; even I will get out the small cocktail cookie cutters and stick on a few pastry leaves, holly and berry, or even hearts for Valentine's Day.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until crust is richly browned. Serve with heated mushroom sauce.

INDIVIDUAL BEEF WELLINGTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Season both sides of each filet with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the filets and sear for 1 minute on each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate to cool completely.
• Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 14-inch square, and cut into 4 (7-inch) squares.
• Spread one-quarter of the mushroom duxelles on top of each filet and top each with 1 slice of the pate, pressing to flatten. Place one filet, mushroom side down, in the center of a puff pastry square. Using a pastry brush or your finger, paint the inside edges of the pastry with egg wash. Fold the pastry over the filet as though wrapping a package and press the edges to seal. Place the packages seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the egg wash over the tops and sides of each package and bake until the pastry is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• Place the Beef Wellingtons in the center of 4 large plates, and accompany with the sauce and vegetables of choice.
• Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, salt, and white pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to caramelize, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan, until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and let cool before using.

INDIVIDUAL BEEF WELLINGTONS W/ MUSHROOM PATE

Steps:

• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and coat lightly with oil. Season steaks well with salt and pepper. Brown well on all sides. Remove from pan, cover loosely and refrigerate.
• Drain excess fat from pan and return to heat. Melt butter and add shallots. When translucent, add mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until mushrooms release liquid, then boil until liquid evaporates.
• Add sherry and cream. Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat mushrooms. Set aside and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a food processor. Pulse to form a rough puree. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• (Steaks and mushrooms can be made 1 day ahead.)
• On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 4 squares.
• Divide mushroom mixture evenly between squares and spread to 1 inch from edge. Top with tenderloin, then gently pull pastry up around steak and seal seams with beaten egg. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place Wellingtons, seam side down, on baking sheet. Brush all over with beaten egg. Cut a few decorative slits in top of each.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned and internal temperature reaches 125 degrees F for medium-rare. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

MOM'S BEEF WELLINGTON WITH PATE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Working in batches, sear steaks in hot oil until browned, about 90 seconds per side; insides will still be raw. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the outsides of the steaks and transfer to a baking dish. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over very low heat. Add mushrooms and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in pate until completely mixed; cook until all moisture has evaporated and it starts to stick to the pan. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate stuffing 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry and place 4 steaks on top. Cut out the pastry around each steak, leaving 1 1/2 inch border on all sides. Remove the steaks. Repeat with the remaining sheet of puff pastry and steaks.
• Place a spoonful of stuffing down the center of a pastry piece, set a steak on top, and spread another small spoonful of stuffing on top; press down gently. Fold pastry around the steak, overlapping as much as possible and squeezing dough tightly to seal. Turn pastry over and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry squares, stuffing, and steaks.
• Bake in the preheated oven, checking after 20 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and steak reaches desired doneness, 30 to 35 minutes.

INDIVIDUAL BEEF WELLINGTON WITH MUSHROOM PATE

Steps:

• 1. Thaw puff pastry. Season filets with salt and pepper. On a board, roll out 2 puff pastry shells (or if using sheets, roll out the sheet) cutting a round big enough to encase the filets.
• 2. Spread the pate on top of each filet. Wrap the filets in puff pastry, pate side down so the seams are on the bottom of each wrapped filet. Seal the edges with the egg mixture.
• 3. Brush egg mixture all over pastry to give a glossy sheen. Roll out another sheet of pastry. Cut out shapes you desire and and decorate each wrapped filet. Brush again with egg mixture.
• 4. Bake the wrapped filets on cookie sheet in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes. The pastry will be golden brown. The filets will come out medium rare. If you are a well done lover, this will not work. Tenderloin is best under-cooked. It might get tough if you cook them till they are well done. NOTE: This is wonderful with my mushroom pate recipe. I will post that as well.