Try Richard Phillips' romantic beef wellington with fondant potatoes and a red wine sauce - the perfect way to spoil your partner
Ingredients
- 1 piece of fillet steak, 200-225g in weight (all fat and sinew removed)
- 100 g3½ oz mushrooms (button or chestnut) chopped in a food processor
- 50 ml1¾ fl oz double cream
- 1 shallot (finely chopped)
- 50 ml1¾ fl oz Madeira
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 thin herb crepes
- Puff pastry, 12” x 8” and ½ “ thick (once rolled out allow to rest
- 120 g4¼ oz porcini mushrooms, (or in season wild mushrooms)
For the red wine sauce:
- 100 g3½ oz beef trimmings, fat and sinew removed
- 4 button mushrooms
- A sprig of thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- ½ carrot, finely chopped
- 250 ml8¾ fl oz red wine
- 500 ml17½ fl oz good quality beef stock
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
For the fondant potatoes:
- 2 large Maris Piper potatoes
- 4 cloves of garlic (not peeled)
- 1 tbsp chicken boullion or stock cube
- A sprig of thyme
- A sprig of rosemary
- 100 g3½ oz unsalted butter
Method: How to make Beef wellington with red wine sauce and fondant potatoes
In a preheated pan, heat up a little olive oil, then place the seasoned beef fillet in the pan and seal on all sides. Remove, allow to cool.
Whilst cooling, finely chop the shallot and cook without colour in a pan. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the Madeira wine and reduce by half. Add the cream and continue to reduce until a thick consistency. Allow to cool.
Spread the paste onto one of the crepes, then brush the beef fillet with the mustard. Roll the beef in the crepe. This stops the pastry getting soggy during cooking.
Brush the rolled out puff pastry with egg wash (1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk whisked together) then place the beef in the centre. Roll the puff pastry around to create a parcel effect.
Place onto a baking tray and egg wash, allow to rest for 15 minutes and then egg wash again. Put into a preheated oven (200C) for approximately 17-18 minutes (this is for medium rare).
Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes before carving.
To make the red wine sauce:
In a hot pan, add the beef trimmings and cook until dark brown and caramelised. Add the shallot and carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden.
Add the garlic, sliced mushrooms and herbs and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the wine and reduce by half, then add the stock and again reduce by half.
Pass through a fine sieve, place back onto the heat and reduce until a sauce consistency is achieved.
Finish with a small knob of butter and serve.
To make the fondant potatoes:
In a thick-bottomed pan, spread the butter, then peel the potato and cut into an oval shape. Add the chicken stock cube, thyme, rosemary and garlic, then add enough water to just below the potato. Place onto a high heat for 15-20 minutes (as a guideline, once the water has evaporated the potato should be cooked).
Toss the porcini mushrooms in foaming butter and drain on kitchen cloth.
Place the potato at the top of the plate with a garlic clove on top and the porcini at the bottom. Slice the 2 ends off the beef and cut in half, place on top of the mushrooms and drizzle red wine sauce around.
