Beef Wellington
With mushrooms and greens
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There is practically nothing better than a glass of wine while preparing and creating a fantastic meal. Slainté
Beef Wellington traditionally has pâté spread over the top of the fillet, which makes it very rich. This recipe is lighter, but with a lovely taste from the tarragon.
1-2 Hrs
31-2 Hrs
Serves 6-8
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Place a large frying pan over a high heat, add the oil and fry the beef on all sides until browned. Transfer to a baking tray and roast in the oven for 15–18 minutes. Turn the oven off and remove the beef. Leave to cool, reserving any cooking juices, and then chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour (see tip).
Next make the topping. Melt the butter in the same pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for 5–10 minutes – you may need to do this in batches. Tip the mushrooms into a sieve set over a bowl to collect the juices and reserve these for the sauce. Transfer the mushrooms to another bowl and allow to cool before mixing with the Parmesan, tarragon, mustard and egg yolk. Season with salt and pepper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Sit the single 375g packet of pastry on a floured work surface and roll out to a square about 40cm/16in in size, then transfer it to the baking sheet. Place the cooked beef to one side of the pastry and spoon the mushroom mixture on top. Fold over the ends of the pastry and then fold the longest edge over the beef, sealing along the side with a little of the egg wash. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. While it is chilling, preheat the oven again to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Brush the top of the chilled beef Wellington with egg wash. Roll out the remaining half block of pastry and cut into 8 thin strips: lay 4 strips diagonally, and evenly spaced, across the top of the beef Wellington, and 4 strips across these to create a lattice pattern. Brush the lattice with egg wash and then roast in the oven for 30–35 minutes or until the pastry is golden-brown and crisp.
Meanwhile, make the tarragon sauce. Melt the butter in the same frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for 5–10 minutes or until the juices evaporate. Sprinkle in the flour and add the crème fraîche with the reserved mushroom juices (from the topping), the mustard and tarragon. Season with salt, pepper and sugar and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 3 minutes until reduced slightly and add any beef juices from the original baking tray. Keep hot.
Allow the beef Wellington to rest, covered with foil, for 15 minutes before carving. Slice into thick slices and serve with the hot tarragon sauce.
Always buy the French tarragon as Russian tarragon grows well, but has no flavour.
To ensure even cooking of the beef, try to buy a piece of beef fillet that’s from the middle section, with a similar circumference all the way along the piece of meat.
There are lots of chilling stages – this is so important as it ensures the temperature is always correct to give pink, rare beef and cooked pastry. For medium, add 5 minutes to the initial roasting time and for well done, add another 5 minutes.
inspired by Australian Masterchef, season 8, episode 37, I decided to attempt my version of Beet Wellington. It took me a few goes and there were some tears and some swearing until I got it right.
One key lesson from my fails is that instead of spreading the mushroom mixture (known as duxelles) on the pastry and then attempting to roll the Wellington, it is way more prudent to stack the filling up high 2 thirds down the sheet of pastry and fold the pastry tightly over it. It works a treat and if you get a helping hand at that stage to ensure that there is no slack in the pastry, you’ll end up with a neat parcel of plant-based goodness wrapped up in a crispy puff pastry shell.
Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.
This recipe is taken from Gordon Ramsay.
Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.
This one has a different stuffing, based on chestnuts and comes with a lush cider gravy. Like most dishes of this type it is a bit more time consuming to make but it’s worth it, I promise! You won’t have anyone complaining if you serve them a slice of this golden pastry-wrapped plant goodness with a velvety umami-filled gravy.
Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.
Take Caesar salad to the next level with juicy langoustines.
less than 30 mins
Less than 10 mins
Serves 2
To make the dressing, put the miso paste, egg yolk, garlic, anchovies, Parmesan and 1 tablespoon of cold water in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth then gradually add the oil and lemon juice, stirring to incorporate. Add another tablespoon of cold water to loosen if needed. Stir in the lemon zest and salt.
To make the salad, place the kale in a bowl and mix in 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Rub the remaining dressing into the Little Gem lettuce leaves. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the langoustines and garlic, season with salt and pepper and fry until just cooked through. Place the lettuce on a serving platter, top with the kale and place the langoustines and garlic around the lettuce. Garnish with the lemon zest, Parmesan, croûtons and chervil and serve.
Les Dauphins Cotes du Rhone White is richly textured with heaps of refreshing as well as exotic flavours. What I love about the pairing is the zing sets off the salty-sweet shellfish and the richness works a total charm with the dressing. They have the largest area of organic vineyards in the Rhône Valley, 90% of their waste is now recycled and they have 700 metres squared of solar panels on the roof of the winery. Great quality for under a tenner, a silver medal at the Decanter awards and if you’re after an alternative, Côtes du Rhône white is what to look for - for grape varieties look for Marsanne, Grenache Blanc or Viognier for this dish.
This is a traditional Scottish soup of onion, potato and undyed smoked haddock. Here it is given a upmarket twist by adding quails’ eggs and scallops.
less than 30 mins
10 to 30 mins
Serves 2-4
Place the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the haddock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes, or until the flesh of the fish turns opaque. Once poached, remove the haddock and set aside in a warm place. Reserve the milk.
Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion and potato for 10 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook until reduced. Add the fish stock, cook until the volume has reduced by half and then add the cream and half of the reserved milk. Bring to the boil then carefully transfer to a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and dust the scallops in the curry powder. Sauté the scallops for 1½ minutes on each side or until just cooked.
Put the quails’ eggs and scallops in warmed soup bowls and pour in the blended stock mixture. Flake in the smoked haddock and garnish with the chives. Serve immediately.
A luxurious fish pie, topped with velvety velouté sauce and creamy mashed potato.
less than 30 mins
over 2 hours
Serves 2
To make the prawn stock, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Place the prawn shells, onion, carrot and fennel on a baking tray and scatter over the star anise, fennel seeds and tarragon. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
Transfer the roasted ingredients to a saucepan and add the wine and fish stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Pass the stock through a sieve and set aside.
To make the velouté sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan until foaming but not browning. Stir in the flour gradually and mix until the flour is fully incorporated. Cook out until a roux is formed. Add the prawn stock a little at a time, mixing until smooth with no lumps before adding more stock. Season with the salt and pepper. Bring the mixture slowly to the boil, stirring continuously, and then simmer for 20–30 minutes or until a smooth sauce is formed. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Place the potatoes in lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for 15–20 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly. Add the egg yolks and nutmeg and mash together.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 3. Lay the fish and prawns in a deep baking dish and top with the mushrooms, peas and tarragon. Pour over the velouté sauce, top with the mash and bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes.
Homemade ketchup is easy to make and so much fresher and tastier than the shop-bought version.
less than 30 mins
30 mins to 1 hour
Makes 1 litre/1¾ pints
Dietary: Suitable for Vegans
This Lamb Shoulder Tagine with Herb Tabbouleh is an amazing dish. The key to this is a proper piece of British lamb, which is then covered with spices and roasted for 4 hours.
less than 45 mins
over 4 hours
Serves 2-4
Mix the oil and spices for the marinade coat all over the lamb and pop in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
Pre heat the oven to 200c.
For the sauce, heat the oil in a large pan. Fry the onion, ginger, garlic and cinnamon, add the meat and tomatoes and water, bring to the boil then place in the oven for 4 hours.
Finish with the chilli, preserved lemons and half the herbs. Season.
To make the tabbouleh, add all the remaining ingredients to the bulgar wheat, stir and serve with the lamb tagine.
Spice up your life with this wonderful fish supper which marinates monkfish tail in a flavourful rub. The monkfish is served with a rich coconut sauce and spicy vegetables.
30 mins to 1 hour
10 to 30 mins
Serves 2
Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.
This rather special smoked haddock omelette named after the writer Arnold Bennett is a classic restaurant dish and easy to recreate at home.
This recipe for an Arnold Bennett Omelette was developed by the head chef at Gordon Ramsay's Savoy Grill restaurant.
This recipe for an Arnold Bennett Omelette was developed by James Martin BBC.
For the smoked haddock, bring to a simmer about 400ml of milk along with 3 crushed cloves of garlic and sprig of thyme.
Add the fish and cook for around 3 minutes or until the haddock starts to flake.
Be careful not to over cook as it will become dry.
Drain off the fish reserving the milk and flake up the fish into nice big pieces.
With the cooking milk from the fish make a white sauce with 200ml of the milk, 20g butter and 20g plain flour
Enhance the flavour with half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, salt pepper and a few scrapes of nutmeg.
Cool the sauce slightly and add the haddock flakes.
Stir lightly being careful not to break up the fish too much.
If the sauce is too thick, add a little more of the milk.
To cook the omelette, break 3 large eggs into a well buttered skillet pan, season and stir then let the egg cook out to form the omelette base.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle on grated cheddar cheese and gruyere cheese then add the haddock sauce mix to evenly cover the omelette.
Sprinkle with a little more cheese and then place under a hot grill until lightly golden and bubbling.
Finish with some chopped chives and parsley and serve from straight from the pan.
James MartinPour the milk into a large shallow pan, then add the smoked haddock, bay leaf and peppercorns and bring to a simmer.
Cook for five minutes, or until the fish has just cooked through and flakes when pushed gently.
Lift the fish out of the pan and set aside to cool slightly before gently flaking, discarding the skin.
Meanwhile, strain the milk into a clean pan and beat the eggs together in a separate bowl.
Heat a frying pan until medium-hot, add 15g/½oz of the butter and the eggs and cook gently, stirring with a fork until they just hold together.
Add half the flaked fish to the top of the omelette, then roll out of the pan onto an ovenproof serving dish and top with the remaining fish.
Preheat the grill to hot.
Wipe out the omelette pan and add the remaining 25g/1oz butter and melt, then add the flour and cook stirring well for two minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking all the time until it forms a smooth sauce. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper. You can add a knob of butter at this stage too if you want to.
Pour the sauce over the top of the omelette, then scatter the grated cheese over the top and place under the grill for 3-5 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbling.
Serve immediately.
Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.
With Mascapone and toasted almonds
“Making a beautiful risotto is so easy! All it takes is a little love and care and this base recipe ”
SMOOTH, CREAMY & OOZY
less than 30 mins
45 mins to 1 hour
6
Dietary: Suitable for Vegetarians
This fish supper is suitable for a dinner party or special meal, but a lot of the ingredients might already be in your storecupboard.
30 mins to 40 mins
30 to 55 mins
Serves 4
To make the potatoes, preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
Place all the potato ingredients in a roasting tray and mix well. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, mixing occasionally. The potatoes should be golden and slightly sticky, leave them in longer if you want a darker, stickier finish.
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion until softened. Add the stock and simmer until reduced by two thirds. Add the lemon juice, zest and crème fraîche and simmer for 5 minutes. Place the white chocolate in a large bowl and pour in the onion mixture, whisking well until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Add the spirit, herbs, pepper and salt and stir to mix. Serve immediately or store in the fridge until needed.
To make the salmon, heat the oil in a frying pan, season the salmon and fry skin-side down for 2–3 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook for another 2 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve the salmon with the potatoes, sauce and rocket, lettuce or vegetables.
Click the link below, to view the method on how to prepare this delicious dish.