Beef Wellington

Ingredients

  • 1 kg Beef Fillet
  • Olive Oil
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 3 sprigs Rosemary
  • 1 Onion
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 600 g Mixed Mushrooms
  • 100 g Chicken Livers
  • 50 g Breadcrumbs
  • 500 g Puff Pastry
  • 1 Egg

Gravy

  • 1 Onions
  • 4 Sprigs Thyme
  • 1 tbsp Jam
  • 1 tsp Mustard
  • 2 tsp Flour

Instructions

  • Preheat a large frying pan on a high heat. Rub the beef all over with sea salt and black pepper. Pour a good lug of oil into the pan, then add the beef, 1 knob of butter and 1 sprig of rosemary.
  • Sear the beef for 4 minutes in total, turning regularly with tongs, then remove to a plate.
  • Wipe out the pan and return to a medium heat. Peel the onion and garlic, then very finely chop with the mushrooms and put into the pan with the remaining knob of butter and another lug of oil.
  • Strip in the rest of the rosemary leaves and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft and starting to caramelise, stirring regularly.
  • Toss the livers into the pan and cook for another few minutes, then tip the contents onto a large board and drizzle with the truffle oil (if using).
  • Finely chop it all by hand with a big knife, to a rustic, spreadable consistency. Taste and season to perfection, then stir in the breadcrumbs
  • Preheat the oven to 210°C/425°F/gas 7.
  • On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the pastry to 30cm x 40cm. With one of the longer edges in front of you, spread the mushroom pâté over the pastry, leaving a 5cm gap at either end and at the edge furthest away from you – eggwash these edges.
  • Sit the beef on the pâté then, starting with the edge nearest to you, snugly wrap the pastry around the beef, pinching the ends to seal.
  • Transfer the Wellington to a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, with the pastry seal at the base, and brush all over with eggwash (you can prep to this stage, then refrigerate until needed – just get it out 1½ hours before cooking so it’s not fridge-cold).
  • When you’re ready to cook, heat the tray on the hob for a couple of minutes to start crisping up the base, then transfer to the oven and cook for 40 minutes for blushing, juicy beef – the two end portions will be more cooked, but usually some people prefer that.
  • For the gravy, peel and roughly chop the onions and put into a large pan on a medium heat with a lug of oil and the thyme leaves. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then stir in the jam and simmer until shiny and quite dark.
  • Add the Madeira, flame with a match, cook away, then stir in the mustard and flour. Simmer to the consistency you like, then blend with a stick blender and pass through a sieve, or leave chunky.
  • Once cooked, rest the Wellington for 5 minutes, then serve in 2cm-thick slices with the gravy and steamed greens.