Beef Wellington

Ingredients

400g flat cap mushrooms, roughly chopped
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
Olive oil, for cooking
750g piece of prime Todenham beef fillet
1-2tbs English mustard
6-8 slices of Parma ham
500g ready-made puff pastry
Flour
2 egg yolks, beaten

Serves 4 People

---

Method

Put the mushrooms into a food processor with some seasoning and pulse to a rough paste. Scrape the paste into a pan and cook for about 10 minutes in order to cook out any moisture, spread onto a plate to cool.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Season the beef and sear in the pan for 30 seconds on each side. Remove the beef from the pan to cool, and then brush the mustard all over the beef.

Lay a sheet of cling film on a work surface and arrange the Parma ham slices on it, in slightly overlapping rows. With a palette knife, spread the mushroom paste over the ham, and then place the beef fillet in the middle. Keeping a tight hold of the cling film from the edge, neatly roll the beef to form a barrel shape. Twist the ends of the cling film to secure. Chill for about 15-20 minds to allow the beef to set and keep its shape.

Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to a large rectangle, the thickness of a £1 coin. Remove the cling film from the beef, the lay in the centre. Brush the surrounding pastry with egg yolk. Fold the ends over, and then wrap the pastry around the beef, cutting off any excess. Turnover, so the seam is underneath, and place on a baking sheet.  Brush over all of the pastry with egg and chill for about 15 mins to let the pastry rest.

Heat the oven to 200°C, 400°F or gas mark 6

Lightly score the pastry at 1 cm intervals and glaze again with beaten egg yolk.   Bake for about 20 mins, then lower the heat to 180°C, 350°F or gas mark 4 and cook for another 15 mins. Allow to rest for 10- 15 mins before slicing. The beef should still be pink in the middle.