Beef Wellington Attempt #1
Ingredients
For the mushrooms
2 1⁄2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons shallot, minced
5 tablespoons leeks, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps finely chopped
1 1⁄2 teaspoons fresh chives, minced
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For assembly
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
4 (6 ounces each) filet mignons
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons milk or half and half
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425*F.
2. Make the mushrooms: Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 10-inch skillet. Stir in the shallots, leeks, and garlic. Cook over low heat until translucent, 5 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and the thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom liquid has evaporated and the mixture is just moist, 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
4. Add the remaining 1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter to the skillet, and stir in the shiitake mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they have released their moisture, 5 minutes.
5. Pour off any juices that have accumulated in the bowl, and add the shiitakes to the mushroom mixture. Stir well, and season with the chives, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
6. Assemble the wellingtons: Toss the pepper, salt, and thyme in a small bowl. Rub the filet on all sides with the mustard, and then sprinkle the spice mixture over them.
7. Melt the butter in a small skillet, and sear the filet on all sides, about 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
8. Arrange the filet on a baking sheet, and cover them with the mushrooms.
9. Cut out four 4- to 5-inch circles of pastry. Drape each over one of the filets, and pinch the edges in four or five places to enclose the filets. Blend the egg and milk, and brush this glaze over the pastry. Decorate the tops with cutouts made from pastry trimmings, if desired.
10. Bake 15 minutes for medium-rare. Serve immediately.
Comments
I’m not sure how I managed to screw up the focus in this picture, but I did. Oops.
This recipe is from The New Basics Cookbook. I’ve been interested in making Beef Wellington for forever and finally decided to try it. Sadly, this method is not the right one for me. The meat in the wellington pictured is rare and the pastry wasn’t fully cooked, so I let the other three bake for longer. After cooking for 5 minutes longer the meat was finished, but the pastry was still not fully cooked. So tweak number one will probably involve only searing the meat on one side before baking so I can give it more time in the oven.
The second thing I realized is that I really dislike shiitake mushrooms. I guess this ruins my foodie cred, but I prefer regular domestic button mushrooms. I feel like shiitake leave a weird taste in my mouth for hours after eating them and I’m not a fan. Next time, I’ll use all button mushrooms instead of a mix.
All of that said, I would like to try these again. Someday.
New Basics Cookbook