Holiday Cooking

Beef Wellington is one of most favorite meat dishes.  How can you go wrong with a filet mignon roast and puff pastry?  I usually make this around the holidays, and it’s always a great crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

• 2.5-4 pound beef filet mignon tenderloin roast (trimmed)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 to 6 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons Himalayan salt
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 5 to 6 cups finely chopped white or crimini mushrooms (no stems)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard or other spicy mustard (optional)
• 1/4 cup sherry or marsala
• 1 to 2 packages puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 ounces of peppercorn mousse or chicken liver pate

I personally like the peppercorn mousse better because I am not a huge liver person.  You can make it pretty easily, or you can find it at Whole Foods and other more high-end grocery stores.

Directions:

1. Tie the filet roast with kitchen twine and make sure the twine is spaced about an inch apart.
2. Season filet roast with salt and pepper and place in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil or grapeseed oil on medium-high heat for about a minute on each side to help seal in the juices.
3. Transfer the filet roast to a cutting board and let it rest until cool.  Make sure the juices of the meat are drained because it will be hard for the pate to stick to the meat otherwise.  Chill until ready to assemble the pate and puff pastry over top.
4. In another skillet or the same one you used for browning the roast, include butter and onions and cook for a few minutes and then add the chopped mushrooms.  Also add salt and pepper.  Cook until tender and the liquid has been cooked out and has evaporated.  Add sherry or marsala and cook until mixture is on the dry side (about 4 minutes) on medium heat.  Cool to room temperature, or you can refrigerate the day before if you want to make ahead.  Note:  I usually add a bit of spicy mustard as well.  This is my secret ingredient that adds a bit of extra flavor.
5. On a flowered surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry sheets one at a time in a rectangular shape.  Do one first and see how much more you will need.  It depends on the size of the filet roast.  You want to make sure the beef is completely covered with the puff pastry.  If you are using more than one piece, you want to make sure the pieces overlap so that the roast is completely covered.
6. Coat what you consider to be the top of the filet roast with the peppercorn mousse and then a layer of the mushroom mixture.   Carefully place the top coated part of the roast in the middle of the puff pastry and continue coating the roast with the peppercorn mousse and then the mushroom mixture.
7. Enclose the puff pastry and the seem will be the bottom which you will place on a baking sheet.
8. Coat puff pastry with egg wash to seal.  If you want a design on the top, do that and place on top of the egg mixture to keep together and put more egg wash on top of that.  I like to do holly leaves and berries or stars as a design, but you can pretty much do whatever you want.  Chill at least 2 hours.
9. Heat over to 425 and place a roasting pan in the over for 15 minutes to heat up the pan.  Take then pan out and transfer the file roast from the baking sheet to the roasting pan.  Make a few small slits in the puff pastry to vent the meat.  Add more egg wash if necessary.  Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
10. Bake filet roast until the top of the puff pastry is golden brown and beef registers at 120-130 (rare), or 130-135 (medium rare).  If the puff pastry gets too brown, cover with foil if the meat is not at desired temperature.  The specific time in the oven will depend on how big of roast (generally it’s 15 to 17 minutes per pound).
11. Let cool for a least 10 minutes before you cut into the roast.
12. Put on a platter and decorate!  This type of entrée can make a big statement at your dinner table.