Beef Wellington

serves 6

prep 45 mins cook 30�€"45 mins

Ingredients:

1kg (2 ¼ lb) fillet of beef,

cut from the thick end of the fillet,

trimmed of fat.

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp sunflower oil

45g (1 ½ oz) butter

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

250g (9oz) mixed wild mushrooms

500g packet ready-made puff pastry

beaten egg, to glaze

Preparation:

1-Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7).

Season the meat with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the beef

until browned all over.

Place the beef in a roasting tin, roast for 10 minutes,

then remove and leave to cool.

2 -Melt the butter in a pan and fry the shallots

and garlic for 2-3 minutes,

stirring frequently, until softened.

Finely chop the mushrooms, add them to the pan,

and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes,

or until the juices evaporate.

then remove from the heat and leave to cool.

3 -Roll out a third of the pastry to a rectangle

about 5cm (2in) larger than the beef.

Place on a baking sheet, prick all over with a fork,

then bake for 12-15 minutes,

or until crisp and golden.

Remove and place on a wire rack to cool.

4 -Place the cooked pastry on a baking sheet,

and spread one-third of the mushroom mixture on the centre.

Place the beef on top and spread the remaining

mushroom mixture over the meat.

Roll out the remaining pastry and place it over the beef,

tucking in the edges and using beaten egg to seal it to the base.

5 -Brush with egg to glaze.

Make a slit in the top for steam to escape.

Bake for 30 minutes for rare, 40 minutes for medium,

or 45 minutes for well done.

If the pastry starts to become too brown,

cover loosely with foil. Remove from the oven

and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

ISMAIL CHOHAN

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