Categories
MAIN COURSE METHODS

Stuffed beef fillet rolled in pastry and served with cauliflower cream and sweet peas

This dish is a variation of the Beef Wellington in a way.  It is, however, fabulous for dinner parties and is always enjoyed by all.

BEEF WELLINGTON

Serves 4

The beef roll:
450 g/1 lb mixed mushrooms
salt
8 green asparagus, trimmed and blanched in salted water
8-10 slices prosciutto
2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
700 g/1.6 lbs beef fillet, trimmed
2 tablespoons/30 ml wholegrain mustard
450 g/1 lb puff pastry
1 eggs, whisked, for glazing

The sauce:
1 cup/250 ml red wine
1½ cup/375 ml beef stock, heated
the reserved mushroom paste
½ cup/125 ml full cream

The cauliflower cream:
1 tablespoon/15 ml butter
1 medium size cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 cup/250 ml full cream
1 tablespoon/15 ml crème fraîche
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, grated
2 teaspoons/10 ml lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

The peas:
2 cups/500 ml peas (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
1 tablespoon/15 ml butter
1 tablespoon/15 ml sugar
salt
2 teaspoons/10 ml mint, finely chopped

  • In a food processor, chop the mushrooms until a rough paste forms. Transform to a non-stick frying pan and dry fry the mushrooms until all its natural moisture has evaporated. Season and put aside to cool.
  • Cut the beef horizontally but not right through. Stop about 3 cm/1¼ in away from the edge.
  • Fold the fillet open like a book and place between two sheets of plastic film.
  • With a mallet, lightly bash the meat all over to get an even thickness.
  • Sprinkle with salt on the cut side then spread the cooked mushrooms evenly all over (reserving 2 tablespoons/30 ml for the sauce) , leaving a small space on the edges all round.
  • Cut the asparagus tips off and set aside.
  • Place the stems in the center horizontally, then roll up the beef. Secure with a skewer or toothpicks.
  • Heat the olive oil in a frying pan until very hot and quickly sear the steak all round.
  • Set aside to cool.
  • When the meat has cooled almost completely, roll out a large piece of plastic film and place the prosciutto alongside each other to more or less the size you will need to cover the fillet all round.
  • Remove the skewers or toothpicks from the meat, then spread mustard all over the outside.
  • Place the meat in the center of the prosciutto and with the help of the plastic film, roll the fillet with the prosciutto into a neat roll.
  • Twist the ends of the plastic film to prevent it from splitting open and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F and grease a baking tray.
  • When ready to cook, roll out the pastry into a rectangle, unwrap the beef carefully and place in the center of the puff pastry.
  • Brush the pastry edges all round with the egg wash then fold it over the beef and seal.
  • Trim the ends of the pastry and with the help of the egg wash, seal the ends neatly.
  • Paint the pastry all over with the egg wash and lift the roll onto the baking tray.
  • Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
  • Remove the roll from the refrigerator and brush again with the egg wash.
  • Lightly score the top of the pastry and place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
  • Turn the baking pan around and lower the heat to 180°C/356°F. Bake for 10 minutes more.
  • Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
  • Heat the pan in which you seared the beef and deglaze it with the red wine.
  • When all the alcohol has evaporated and the pan is nearly dry, add the stock and reduce to half.
  • Add the mushroom paste and cook until the sauce has reduced to a half.
  • Stir in the cream and let it cook until it thickens.
  • Strain, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and pour back into the pan to keep warm.
  • After the beef roll has rested and you are ready to cut it, pour the juices that leaked out of the roll into the sauce and mix.
  • Meanwhile, for the cauliflower, bring water in a saucepan to the boil and add the butter and cauliflower. (The water should only come halfway up the cauliflower).
  • Cook until the cauliflower is tender. (The water should have reduced down to about half).
  • Pour all the content of the saucepan (and the water) into a food processor and blend until smooth. (It should be the consistency of thick whipped cream).
  • Add the cream, crème fraîche, nutmeg, salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
  • Add 1 teaspoon/5 ml of lemon juice and taste, then add more if required.
  • Pour back into the saucepan and keep warm until ready to serve.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the peas, a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon/5 ml of sugar.
  • Let it heat through over low heat until the sugar has melted.
  • Add the chopped mint and set aside in a warm place until ready to serve.
STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.