What's the best way to do Beef Wellington?

Answer 1

Individual Beef Wellington

1 lb. medium mushrooms
1/4 c. butter
1 medium onion, minced
3 c. fresh bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
salt
1/4 tsp. thyme leaves
2 eggs, separated
1 beef rib roast (about 4 lb.)
pastry for 2- crust pie

Remove stems from 10 mushrooms, set aside. Mince remaining mushrooms and the
extra stems. In a 12 inch skillet, over medium heat, cook mushrooms and onions 5 minutes in butter. Stir in bread crumbs, pepper, thyme and 1-1/2 tsp. salt, cool. Trim fat off roast, cut meat in half lengthwise, slice each half crosswise into 5 equal pieces. Dry with paper towels.

Pastry:
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. shortening
5 to 6 T. cold water

Stir together flour and salt, with a pastry blender or 2 knives cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle cold water, a T. at a time, mixing lightly with a fork after each addition until pastry just holds together with hands shape pastry into a ball, divide pastry in half.

Roll 1 piece of the pastry on a floured surface to 14 x11". Cut 2 rectangles 6 1/2 by 10, reserve scraps. Place 1/3 c. of mushroom mixture in center of pastry rectangle. Top with a piece of meat, sprinkle meat lightly with salt, top with whole mushroom. In a bowl with a fork beat egg whites with 2 tsp. water brush pastry edges with this fold pastry over meat and mushrooms, overlap edges. Press to seal, place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate while preparing remainder.

Roll out pastry scraps with a sharp knife cut into designs, brush backs with egg whites arrange on pastry, refrigerate.

About 35 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 400F. In cup beat egg yolks with 2 tsp. water, brush over pastry. Bake 25 minutes for rare, 27 minutes for medium, with a pancake turner, place Wellingtons on a warm platter You can either slice these or serve them whole.

Answer 2

Scrumptious Beef Wellington
For a special meal your guests will think they are in a five star restaurant when they first see and then taste this entree. This elegant recipe looks like a lot of work, but the fillings can be made the night before and the dish assembled the next day, just remember to bring the fillings to room temperature to aid in spreading. Cooking time does not include marinating time.
For the Beef
1 (4 lb) beef tenderloin, trimmed
1 onion, quartered
3/4 cup Burgundy wine
3/4 cup dry sherry
2 bay leaves
For the Mushroom filling
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, fine chop (3 cups)
1 large leek, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
For the liver pate filling
1/2 cup butter
3/4 lb chicken livers, quartered
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/3 lb bacon, diced
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-4 drops hot pepper sauce
1 (1 lb) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 egg, beaten
8-10 servings

1. Place roast in a large heavy plastic bag and add burgundy, sherry, onion and bay leaves.
2. Marinate tenderloin in refrigerator overnight.
3. Remove tenderloin from marinade, reserving liquid.
4. Place meat on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and roast at 425F for 15 minutes, or until meat thermometer nearly reaches 130 degrees.
5. Set aside and cool 20 minutes, reserving pan drippings.
6. To prepare the mushroom filling, in a large skillet melt 2 tbsp of butter, then add the chopped mushrooms and leeks.
7. Saute until the vegetables have given up their liquid and are soft, about 6 minutes.
8. Remove from heat, then stir in 1/4 cup of dry breadcrumbs and 3 tbsp of reserved marinade.
9. Set aside to cool.
10. To prepare the liver pate filling, melt 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet, then add diced bacon, chicken livers, garlic, brandy, salt, and hot sauce.
11. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until the livers loose their pink color (note, you are not trying to crisp the bacon, only render the fat and cook through).
12. Cool thoroughly, then puree in a blender until smooth.
13. To assemble, on a lightly floured surface overlap 1 puff pastry sheet onto second pastry sheet by 1 inch and pinch to seal, making 1 large sheet.
14. Roll dough into a 14x12 inch rectangle (or use your judgement depending on the size of your roast) and trim as necessary.
15. Mix the mushroom filling and the liver pate together, combining well.
16. Spread the mushroom/pate mixture on the puff pastry to within 1 inch on all sides.
17. Place meat top side down in center of pastry, and draw up long sides of the pastry to encase and overlap.
18. Pinch seam and each end shut.
19. Brush seam with a little beaten egg to seal.
20. Carefully place roast on a lightly greased baking sheet seam side down.
21. Brush the entire surface of the pastry with beaten egg (at this point you can cut shapes for any pastry scraps to decorate the top of the roast).
22. Bake in 425F oven 20 to 30 minutes until pastry is golden.
23. Remove from the oven and let roast rest 10 minutesbefore serving.
24. For the winesauce, heat 1/2 cup of water with the reserved pan drippings, scraping up any brown bits.
25. Add 1/2 cup of reserved marinade and let mixture reduce slightly.
26. Blend 3 tbsp of flour with 1/4 cup of water and add to pan stirring constantly, adding salt and pepper to taste.
27. Serve the winesauce with the roast.

Answer 3

Beef Wellington Recipe
Don't let the length of this recipe put you off! Practically everything can be done in advance. And, the individual steps are easy. But what a reward! It is the merger of two recipes: Julia Child's "The French Chef Cookbook," and a local restaurant that published their recipe in a local paper.

Beef Marinade
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup celery
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1 bay leaf
3 allspice berries or cloves
6 peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dry white vermouth
1/3 cup cognac or brandy

Mushroom Duxelles
2 lbs mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons shallots, minced
1/2 cup dry madeira wine
4-5 tablespoons mousse type pate or foie gras
4 (8 ounce) filet of beef
4 slices prosciutto, thin
2 sheets puff pastry

Madeira Sauce
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup madeira wine

4 servings
2 hours 25 minutes 2 hrs prep

Place all marinade ingredients (except salt, vermouth and cognac) in a small saucepan.
Cook slowly until vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Season filets with salt; place in ziplock bag; add marinade mixture; pour on the wine and cognac.
Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
Remove from marinade.
Pat dry.
Heat 1 T oil in a heavy duty saute pan over high heat.
Add filet and sear briefly on all sides.
Return to refrigerator until ready to assemble the Wellingtons.
Reserve marinade for sauce.
Mince mushrooms in food processor until very small.
In the corner of a clean kitchen towel, twist the mushrooms a handful at a time to extract as much of the mushroom juices as possible.
I usually dampen the towel first so it won't absorb the juices of the mushrooms.
Reserve the juices for the sauce.
Saute mushrooms and shallots in butter 7 or 8 minutes or so until the mushroom pieces separate from each other and begin to look dry.
Add the madeira and boil until liquid has evaporated.
Season to taste and stir in the pate or foie gras.
Simmer marinade ingredients and mushroom juices with 2 cups beef broth and 1 T tomato paste for 1 hour or so until reduced to 2 cups.
Degrease, season and thicken with 2 Tbs.
cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup Madeira.
All of these steps can be prepared well in advance and even frozen in separate containers.
Simply thaw everything before proceeding.
I usually get two Wellingtons out of each sheet of puff pastry.
It depends on the size of the steaks.
Roll out each sheet a little to accomodate the size of the filet.
Cut sheet in half.
Lay one sheet of Prosciutto on each half.
Place a spoonful of mushrooms on top; place a filet on top of mushrooms; spoon a little more mushrooms on top of filet; wrap filet in pastry.
Pinch to seal.
If you have any pastry left over, be creative and decorate the Wellingtons to fit the occasion.
Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 375^F.
Egg wash the tops of the Wellingtons.
Bake until golden brown.
About 25 minutes.
Use an instant read thermometer to insure that the meat is done to your liking.
If Wellingtons start to brown too much before the meat is ready, cover with foil and cook until it is done.
Serve with the Madeira sauce spooned on top.

Answer 4

ELEGANT BEEF WELLINGTON

1 (6 lb.) whole beef tenderloin roast
Butter
1 (17 1/4 oz.) pkg. frozen puff pastry
1 med. sized onion, minced
1 (8 oz.) pkg. mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. red wine
1/2 lb. goose or duck liver pate OR 17 oz. can liver pate
1 egg, separated
2 tsp. milk
Bordelaise sauce
Parsley for garnish

(Ask your butcher to trim tenderloin of fat).

(Available at specialty stores).

About 2 hours before serving:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In large oven roasting pan on rack, form tenderloin into ring so that thick end rests on thin end to hold securely. Brush beef with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

Insert meat thermometer into center of tenderloin. Roast tenderloin 40 minutes or until thermometer reaches 120 degrees F (very rare). Remove tenderloin from oven and let stand 30 minutes. Do not turn oven off.

2. Thaw pastry as label directs.

3. Meanwhile, in 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat, in 3 tablespoons hot butter, cook onion until tender. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all liquid evaporates. Stir in red wine and cook over medium heat until mixture is dry. Remove skillet from heat; cool slightly.

4. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 sheet puff pastry into 14 x 12 inch rectangle. Place puff pastry sheet on ungreased large cookie sheet. Center partially roasted tenderloin ring on dough. With knife, cut pastry with 1 inch border all around tenderloin.

5. Spread pate evenly over tenderloin; top with mushroom mixture. With pastry brush, brush some egg white on pastry around tenderloin. On lightly floured surface, roll second sheet puff pastry as above; place loosely over tenderloin ring, pressing pastry around base of tenderloin to seal; crimp pastry border to make a pretty edge.

6. In cup, with fork, beat egg yolk with milk; brush top and sides of pastry with egg mixture. Bake Beef Wellington 10 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees F; bake 20 minutes longer or until crust is golden. With 2 pancake turners, transfer roast to warm platter. Let stand 15 minutes for easier slicing.

7. Prepare Bordelaise Sauce.

8. To serve, garnish with parsley, cut Beef Wellington into wedges. Serve with Bordelaise Sauce.

Makes 10 servings.

BORDELAISE SAUCE:

In heavy 1 quart saucepan over low heat, in 3 tablespoons hot butter, cook 1 tablespoon minced onion until tender. Stir in 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; cook until lightly browned; add 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper.

Slowly stir in one 10 1/2 ounce can condensed beef broth (bouillon), 1/2 cup red wine, and 1/4 cup water. Increase heat to medium-high; cook mixture, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens.