(serves 10-12)

An oldie but a goodie. Up to two days ahead Beef Wellington can be assembled, then up to 45 minutes before serving, glaze pastry and pop it in the oven. Accompany with herbed potatoes with peas.

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg (1) beef fillet (trimmed of all silver skin, your butcher will do this for you)

15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

120g Chicken Liver Pate

Dry-Roasted Mushrooms

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

660g puff pastry

1 egg white (lightly beaten)

1 egg yolk (to make egg wash: whisk yolk with 1 tbsp water)

Red Wine and Balsamic Sauce

METHOD

 Preheat oven to 200ºC.

Brush beef fillet with oil. Preheat a heavy-based fry pan or flat grill plate to hot. Sear beef well on all sides. Remove from pan, place onto a low-sided baking tray and cook in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until beef is medium rare.

Remove from oven and cool completely.

Spread entire fillet with pate. Sprinkle dry-roasted mushrooms over pate and press lightly to help them stick. Grind black pepper over the mushroom layer.

Roll pastry into a rectangle, approximately 45cm x 26cm, 3mm-4mm thickness.

Brush pastry lightly with egg white. Egg white prevents the pastry becoming soggy, and secondly it seals the joins.

Place fillet 10cm in from long edge. Lift pastry over fillet to cover completely. Trim pastry ends by cutting on the angle. Open pastry end and fold with an envelope-fold, the top piece of pastry under the beef. Bring the bottom piece of pastry up, envelope-fold and press onto the pastry top. Turn the whole fillet over so the top becomes the bottom and all pastry joins are underneath. Decorate top of Beef Wellington as desired.

Rest Beef Wellington in refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, or for up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 220ºC.

Brush Beef Wellington with egg yolk wash, place in oven and bake 20-25 minutes until pastry is cooked through and golden brown all over.

Remove from oven, cover loosely with a tea towel and rest away from the heat for 10 minutes before serving. Accompany with red wine and balsamic Sauce. If you wish, accompany with herbed potatoes with peas.