Filet de bœuf en croûte

Filet de bœuf en croute or beef Wellington is a classic beef dish.  It is, arguably, the most delicious way of serving fillet stake which by itself does not have a great deal of flavour.  Including a stuffing of pâté or foie gras, with or without mushrooms or truffles makes the dish perfect but it is still outstanding if these are omitted.   The key to the dish is marinating the beef.

The dish can be served with Périgueux sauce or a sauce made from the marinade.

Preparation Time: 20 Mins

Cooking Time: 35 Mins

Total Time: 6½ Hrs

Ingredients

For 2 servings…

450 gms          Beef  - fillet

60 gms            Pâté  - duck or duck liver        

30 gms            Truffle  - slices        

280 gms          Pastry  - puff          

30 gms            Butter       

1 tbs               Olive oil    

For the marinade

1                    Shallot  - sliced       

1 clove            Garlic  - crushed      

  Bouquet garni  

110 ml             Wine  - red 

1 tbs               Olive oil    

                      Pepper      

                      Salt          

To glaze the pastry

1                    Egg  - beaten         

Method

Cut the fillet in half lengthways.  Put it in a dish with the marinade ingredients and let it marinate for at least six hours.

Take the two pieces of fillet from the marinade and dry the with kitchen towel.  Make a “sandwich” of them using the pâté and truffle slices as the filling.  Tie the “sandwich” together with string.

Heat the oil and butter together in a very hot frying pan and seal the fillet on all sides.  Then put it in the hottest possible oven for a maximum of 10 minutes.  Take it out of the oven and leave it to cool.

Roll out the pastry and wrap round the fillet sealing well.  Turn over the package so that the seal running along the length is underneath.  Use any trimmings to make decorations.  Paint with beaten egg to glaze.

Bake in an oven at 200°C for 20 minutes until the pastry has risen and is golden.

Variations

The pâté and truffles can be omitted to produce a less-rich dish, but still very nice.

Sautéed mushrooms can be added to the pâté.

Wine recommendations

The dish warrants the best wine that you can afford.  It should be red and probably either Claret or Burgundy.

Conventional

     Burgundy

     Claret

Special

     Château Haut Brion

     Echézeaux

Adventurous

     Chinon