Fillet Wellington

If you've ever seen a Wellington steak being cut, you've probably thought how delicious it must be. And it is! Preparing it at home is possible, and more than complicated, it requires time, that's all. So let's give Rosa ( Pemberley Cup&Cakes ) a chance to tell you in detail how to prepare it. Success is guaranteed!

A Wellington steak is something that one does not prepare every day, but rest assured that the incredible feeling of satisfaction that the experience produces will remain in the memory for a long time. It is therefore one of those star recipes that are usually reserved for certain occasions and with which success is guaranteed.

The recipe I'm bringing you today is Jamie Oliver's Beef Wellington recipe, included in his fantastic book Comfort Food . I have to say that I've made a few minor adjustments based on my personal experience (we've tried it at home on several occasions); I always ended up with leftover filling and the thyme seemed to be too present in the sauce (see Notes below). But it's a matter of taste. While it's true that it doesn't require an excessively complicated preparation, it is important that you dedicate a certain amount of time - once all the ingredients are ready, it's not difficult to spend a couple of hours in the kitchen - and attention to successfully achieve our goal.

Obviously, the quality of the ingredients will have a directly proportional effect on the final result. Everyday shopping may not arouse too many emotions, but when it comes to preparing a special dish, I admit that in my case it becomes a whole experience. Choosing that piece of meat that practically calls your name like a siren song, getting a beautiful shipment of mushrooms with the most fascinating names and shapes, being enthralled in the section of aromatic herbs... And that aroma that will accompany you throughout the entire process in the kitchen; true music for the senses.

Emile Henry mortar , De Buyer non-stick oven tray , Skeppshult iron salt shaker and Masterclass rectangular board

The truth is that, in addition, working with De Buyer utensils like those used for this recipe is a real pleasure; knowing that you will not lose an ounce of flavour and that they will meet your expectations down to the smallest detail is always a guarantee.

Are you up for it? Get your shopping list ready…

Ingredients (for 6 people)

• 1Kg of beef tenderloin (10cm Ø approx.)
• Ground black pepper
• Salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 500gr puff pastry
• 1 egg, to brush

For the filling

• 500g of assorted mushrooms and toadstools
• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 100gr of chicken livers
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon truffle-seasoned oil (optional)
• 50gr of homemade breadcrumbs
• Extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce

• 2 large onions
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 heaped teaspoon blackcurrant jam
• 50ml of Madeira wine
• 1 heaping teaspoon English mustard
• 2 heaping tablespoons of flour
• 500ml of meat broth
• Extra virgin olive oil

Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food book, de Buyer cast iron frying pan , Mediterránea Lifestyle recycled glass tumbler , Skeppshult cast iron salt jar and Tokyo Design Textured plate

Elaboration

1. Remove the sirloin from the refrigerator 30 minutes before starting to cook and allow it to cool down at room temperature, well wrapped.
2. Next, we generously season the entire piece with salt and pepper, rubbing it gently with our hands so that everything adheres well.
3. Once ready, heat a generous splash of oil in a frying pan of about 26 cm Ø, such as this one from De Buyer, over a high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, we proceed to sear the meat. Place the butter, the sprig of rosemary and the sirloin in the pan and brown it on all sides (including the ends) for about 4 minutes in total, using kitchen tongs to turn it over.
4. We transfer it to a dish and let it cool while we prepare the filling.

Filling preparation:

1. We start by removing the remains of the pan in which we have sealed the meat with a little kitchen paper (it is not necessary to clean it thoroughly, just remove the fat).
2. Peel the onion and garlic cloves, wash the mushrooms and chop everything very finely. This step can be quite entertaining, as there is a lot to chop; you can arm yourself with a good kitchen knife or use a food processor .
3. Next, add enough oil to the pan just enough to cover the entire base and, over a medium heat, sauté all the vegetables together with the butter and rosemary (just the leaves; discard the central sprig) for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until everything is tender and lightly browned.
4. Next, we also chop the chicken livers very finely (they must be very clean) and add them to the previous mixture along with the Worcestershire sauce. We stir a few more times until they are well cooked and remove from the heat.
5. Now is the time to add the truffle oil to the filling if we are going to use it and, in case our filling still has a less fine texture, we transfer everything to a large cutting board and finish chopping it with a large, very sharp knife until we achieve a consistency that is easy to spread.
6. Season to taste, add the breadcrumbs and mix until everything is well distributed. Set aside while it cools.

Skeppshult iron salt shaker and traditional Paderno oil can

Assembly and baking:

1. Preheat the oven (electric and without air) to 210ºC and place the oven rack in the central position.
2. Once the tenderloin and the filling are cold, prepare the puff pastry. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry with a floured rolling pin until it forms a rectangle of about 30 x 40 cm.
3. Next, we place the puff pastry sheet on a non-stick oven tray, such as this one from De Buyer (or on the oven tray lined with baking paper) and spread the filling evenly over the surface, leaving a 5 cm margin at each end as well as on one of the longer sides, margins that we will brush with beaten egg using a kitchen brush .
4. Next, place the sirloin in the centre of the spread out filling and wrap it in the puff pastry starting from the side that we have left without a margin, making sure that it is tight. Turn it over so that the seam is on the bottom, mark the piece of meat with the edge of your hand and seal by pressing the dough well from both ends with the prongs of a fork.
5. To finish, we brush the entire surface of the puff pastry with the rest of the beaten egg. (At this point, we can continue with the rest of the process or cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until we are ready to start making it again. In the latter case, we would not preheat the oven initially and we must take the precaution of removing it from the refrigerator at least 1 ½ hours before baking so that it can return to room temperature.)
6. Now we place the tray with our sirloin on the largest burner and let the base start to cook for a couple of minutes before putting it in the oven, this way it will soften less when the meat starts to release its juices.
7. Finally, we put the tray in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes until it is golden brown on the outside.

Preparation of the sauce:

1. Chop the onions into more or less irregular pieces and begin to sauté them over medium heat together with the thyme leaves (discard the sprigs) in a medium saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of oil for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until they are very tender.
2. Next, add the blackcurrant jam and mix well.
3. Once the mixture has darkened, add the wine and let it cook for a few minutes until it reduces.
4. Next, add the mustard and flour and stir until combined.
5. Finally, add the beef broth, little by little, stirring constantly, and let it emulsify until it thickens a little, as desired, stirring constantly. Keep in mind that it will thicken a little more as it cools.
6. Remove from the heat and blend with a hand blender. If you prefer a very fine sauce, you can strain it through a sieve or strainer; if you like it with more texture, you can leave it as is.

Once our sirloin is ready, we will wait about 5 minutes before serving (fresh from the oven we would not get a good cut). We then cut it into portions about 2 cm thick and serve it with the sauce and some grilled vegetables or a little salad as a garnish.

"Arrels" 30 years Clos Mogador wine

Grades

• If you want to follow the original recipe to the letter, you will have to use 600g of mushrooms instead of 500g, double the amount of thyme in the sauce and increase the meat broth to 600ml.
• Puff pastry can be homemade, fresh or frozen (which should be used once defrosted). If you decide on one of the last two options, you may not find 500g blocks. If you have to join several layers to get this amount, lightly moisten the surface of each sheet of puff pastry where they will come into contact so that they stick well and do not separate when handling them or during baking.

Have you already decided on the next date to surprise your loved ones? It would not be surprising if it was not the only one…

All the best,

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