Festive Beef Wellington

serves 4

THIS TRULY MAGNIFICENT DISH IS WORTHY OF CENTREPIECE STATUS AT THE FESTIVE MEAL - TO DO IT JUSTICE, BUY THE VERY BEST-QUALITY BEEF YOU CAN.

ingredients

750 g/1 lb 10 oz thick beef fillet

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 onion, chopped

175 g/6 oz chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

350 g/12 oz ready-made puff pastry, thawed if frozen

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Put the beef in a roasting tin, spread with the butter and season to taste with salt and pepper, if using. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven. Do not switch off the oven.

2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper to taste, if using, the mushrooms and the sage and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

3 Roll out the pastry into a rectangle large enough to enclose the beef, then place the beef in the centre and spread the mushroom mixture over it. Bring the long sides of the pastry together over the beef and seal with beaten egg. Tuck the short ends over, trimming away the excess pastry, and seal. Place on a baking sheet seam-side down and make two slits in the top. Decorate with pastry shapes made from the trimmings and brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, cut into thick slices and serve.

Tip: You can substitute the more usual mushroom mixture with a delicious roasted garlic paste. Simply roast a whole bulb of garlic in a hot oven for 10 minutes, then mix the flesh with some olive oil, fresh chopped thyme and rosemary, then spread it over the beef.

Recipe from Christmas Recipes & Crafts