27 Dec 2018

NEW YEARS EVE BEEF WELLINGTON

Guaranteed Perfection Everytime

This is a guaranteed fool proof perfect cook every time!

As I always say the proof of a brilliant recipe is in the method and enhanced with the animal welfare of the ingredients along with the experience of the cook, well yes the more you know the better you can navigate those Ops! what do I do now or should I have done this moments, but information like that comes from experience and while your still learning that Ops is still a variable that can cause you a wobble!  So this cooking method is for those of us who do not cook these meals very often and need a fool proof cooking method that will deliver perfection without fail for the most glorious results for that special family or friends dinner!  

The Secret is in all the 2's, 220C for 20 minutes, 200C for 20 minutes, rest for 20 minuets 
DO NOT DEVIATE FROM THIS COOKING SCHEDULE 

Prep time 30 minutes / Cooking time 40 minutes / Resting time 20 minutes


Ingredients 
(serves 6-8)

The Rough Puff Pastry
330g self raising flour
130g suet
150g water
1 pinch Himalayan sea salt 
200g butter

The Wellington 
1kg centre cut fillet steak
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
200g chestnut mushrooms finely chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 pinch Himalayan sea salt 
1 pinch black pepper 
6 slices Parma ham optional 
1 beaten egg for wash

First make the rough puff pastry, place all the ingredients except the butter in a bowl and bring together to a rough ball, roll out to a 1/2 " thick rectangle, slice the butter into 12 slices, place 3 butter slices on the top first half of the rolled out pastry and fold up the bottom half covering the butter, turn the folded pastry 90 degrees and roll out to rectangle again, repeat 3 more times, wrap in parchment paper or cloth and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes while you make the mushroom pate.

This is roughly how your rough puff pastry will look inside, all the layers of butter are what will melt and make your rough puff, puff up and become light, melt in the mouth pastry.



The Mushroom Pate
Heat a skillet medium hot, add the butter and olive oil, add the onions and garlic and soften for five minutes, add the mushrooms and cook for a further five minutes, remove from the pan and leave to one side to cool.

Searing The Beef
Using the same pan heat hot and sear the fillet steak until browned all over, remove from the heat and leave to cool.

The Wellington 
Pre heat your oven 220 C degrees
Roll out your pastry to a large thin rectangle, that will cover the beef fillet when wrapped up, you do not want any excessive overlapping, maybe a centimetre or so as to much overlapping will cook soggy, trim off as much excess as you dare.  If using the Parma ham lay a blanket over the pastry then  spread the mushroom pate on the pastry up to a inch or so away from the edges of the pastry, place the fillet of seared beef in the centre of the pastry and bring the left and right side up and over the fillet to cover, now hug the ends of the pastry parcel around the end of the beef fillet, trim off as much excess pastry as you dare, turn the parcel over so that the Wellington is now sitting seam side down and using your hands hug/tuck the minimal excess pastry back under the Wellington parcel.  



The Key To Success is all in The 2's ...
220 C 20 minutes, 200 C 20 minutes, 20 minutes resting ...

Place your beef Wellington parcel on a baking sheet, egg wash generously all over and place in your pre heated hot oven, once in do not touch or open that door!  After a further 20 minutes turn the temperature down to 200 degrees C and quickly turn the Wellington 180 degrees in the oven, next as soon as your 20 minute timer alerts you take your Beef Wellington out of the oven and leave to rest on the side for 20 minutes, this gives you time to fuss with any side dishes you want to serve with this dish.  Resting is as important as cooking.

 That's it, your Beef Wellington is now ready to carve and serve perfectly rare-medium and juicy to your family or guests.  It really is a beautifully simple dish when you have the perfect cooking method.





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