heather & olive

I don't know if it's because every time I open a Williams-Sonoma catalog their Beef Wellington is staring me in the face or if I just need comfort food this time of year, but I've had a major hankering for it for the past couple of weeks. So, this weekend, I decided to make Beef Wellington for the first time. And it was delish.

(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients (that are incredibly precise):

1/2 yellow onion
Handful of sliced mushrooms
Spoonful of minced garlic
Butter
Filet of beef
Salt and pepper
Puff pastry (I used 1/4 of a sheet)
Red wine
Balsamic vinegar
Egg (for wash)

To Do:

1.   Defrost puff pastry according to directions (usually takes 2 hours).
2.   Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3.   Dice mushrooms and onions.


4.   Melt a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan, add garlic. Cook for one minute and then add onions and
      cook until translucent. Add mushrooms, a splash of red wine and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
      Cook until liquid is reduced.


(I omitted the liver pâté that usually accompanies Beef Wellington, and when I make this again, I will definitely add it. The final product was missing a little richness that the pâté would have provided--I just didn't want to have all that extra lying around because I would have stuffed my face with it. And nobody wants to see that.)

4.   Generally season the filet with salt and pepper.
5.   Heat 1-2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan on medium-high heat, and sear both sides until brown
      and crisp.
6.   Put the filet in the pastry, and spoon the mushroom/onion mixture on top.


7.   Wrap the pastry tightly around the beef/mushrooms and seal the edges. Brush with egg wash.