Goooooood Morning foodies. I am aware I have disappeared off the blogmap for about a month. I have been drowning in yoga teacher training, weddings and all the other day-to-day nonsense that's been taking up my time. To make up for my absence I am going to be sharing a realllll treat today. An amazing winter/holiday/anytime dish that just about everyone loves - beef wellington. Though it may seem a tad intimidating - it is actually alot easier to make than most would think. While it's not exactly a whip-up-quick weekday meal - it's makes for a nice little Sunday night feast. Or even ladies... a great option if you have decided to make your special someone a romantic valentines dinner next week. The soft pastry crust with just the right amount of crisp, wrapped over a delicious piece of tenderloin in between layers of mushroom duxelles and prosciutto. A-MAZ-ING.
Ingredients: (6-8 servings)
For the Mushroom Duxelles:
1 1/2 pounds white button mushrooms
3 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Beef:
1 (3-pound) center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 thin slices prosciutto
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Flour, for rolling out puff pastry
1 pound puff pastry, thawed if using frozen
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Note** best served with some roasted potatoes and a delicious peppercorn sauce!
To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (if you do not have a food processor - use a blender on "chop" for the same job). Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places with butcher string (found at your local grocery store) so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile set out your prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap (plastic needs to be about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap and tie the roast up in it) on top of your cutting board. Layer the edges of the prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the entire filet of beef. Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight. Tuck in the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef. Roll it up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Remove beef from refrigerator and cut off plastic. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and fold over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef (make sure your beef is covered in the egg wash to prevent cracking). Top with coarse sea salt. Place the beef SEAM SIDE DOWN on a baking sheet.
Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (I use the thermometer just to be sure). Remove from oven and rest before cutting into thick slices.
Serve & Enjoy!
xo Chef Natty
