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Beef Wellington (beef cooked in pastry) seems to have become a Valentine’s day dish in the UK. However, most recipes cook a large Wellington, better suited to a dinner party. So, I decided to create a dish just for two. As well as beef fillet, this could also be made with venison fillets, wild boar fillet or even a lamb fillet.
Prep time 20 minutes/Cook time 25 minutes/Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 flat-capped mushrooms, coarsely chopped
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
100g (1/2 cup) Mushroom pate
2 x 170g (6 oz] beef fillet steaks, seasoned
2 slices lean ham on the bone
375g (12 oz) pack ready rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6). Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a medium frying pan and cook the mushrooms and onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and golden. Stir in the mustard and parsley, then transfer to a plate and set aside to cool slightly. Once cooled, mix in the pate.
Return the pan to the heat, add the remaining oil and heat until piping hot. Add the seasoned steaks and cook for 30 seconds on each side to seal. Remove with tongs and set aside.
Unroll the pastry and halve along its width to produce two rectangles. From the top corner of each of the rectangles, cut out a small heart shape using a 4-5cm (2 in) heart-shaped cutter, or draw a small 4cm (1 ½ in) heart shape on a piece of paper and use as a guide. Set aside the pastry hearts.
Paint some of the mushroom and mate mixture on the bottom of the steaks. Sit the meat, pate side down in the centre of the shortest end of the pastry, about 4cm (1/2 in) from the edge. Divide the mushroom mixture on top and press down to compact. Lay a slice of ham on top to enclose the filling.
Lightly brush the edges of the pastry with water, then fold over to enclose the steak and stuffing. Press down to seal, then use a sharp knife to cut away the excess pastry, leaving a good 2cm (1 in) of sealed edge. To help seal the pastry, press the tines of a fork into the border, then tap the edges with the blade of a knife held horizontally to rough up the edges.
Use beaten egg to stick on the pastry hearts. Then brush all over with beaten egg. Transfer the Wellingtons to a baking tray and chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. At the end of this time, transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven at this time and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with mash or boiled new potatoes and green vegetables.
