Did anybody but me wake up early enough to see Ty Florence make this
incredible dish on TV this morning?

Jeeeeeeez...I would gladly suck this thru my NOSE if necessary.

a beef tenderloin wrapped in proscuito, then puff pastry, baked and
served with a green peppercorm/grainy mustard/cream brandy sauce....oh
please, just kill me NOW.

I was wondering what to cook for Crissmus....oh lordy, let me LIVE long
enough to make THIS, PLEASE!

BEEF WELLINGTON
2 cups mushrooms
2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves
only
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Beef:
1 (3-pound) center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 thin slices prosciutto
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Flour, for rolling out puff pastry
1 pound puff pastry, thawed if using frozen 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Minced chives, for garnish
Green Peppercorn Sauce, recipe follows
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Warm Wilted Winter Greens, recipe follows

Directions
To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a
food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and olive oil
to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and
mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid
has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its
cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season
with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot,
heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3
minutes. Meanwhile set out your prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap
(plastic needs to be about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap
and tie the roast up in it) on top of your cutting board. Shingle the
prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the
entire filet of beef. Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin
layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and
pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared,
remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon
mustard. Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered
prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight. Tuck in
the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef.
Roll it up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal it
completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the refrigerator for
30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a
1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to
overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Remove beef from refrigerator
and cut off plastic. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and fold
over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if
necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the
beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Top with
coarse sea salt. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.
Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in
the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates
vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to
45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F
on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting
into thick slices. Garnish with minced chives, and serve with Green
Peppercorn Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Warm Wilted Winter
Greens.
Green Peppercorn Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 cup brandy
1 box beef stock
2 cups cream
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
1/2 cup green peppercorns in brine, drained, brine reserved
Add olive oil to pan after removing beef. Add shallots, garlic, and
thyme; saute for 1 to 2 minutes, then, off heat, add brandy and flambe
using a long kitchen match. After flame dies down, return to the heat,
add stock and reduce by about half. Strain out solids, then add 2 cups
cream and mustard. Reduce by half again, then shut off heat and add
green peppercorns.

In article >,
(Lass Chance_2) wrote:

> Did anybody but me wake up early enough to see Ty Florence make this
> incredible dish on TV this morning?
>
> Jeeeeeeez...I would gladly suck this thru my NOSE if necessary.
>
> a beef tenderloin wrapped in proscuito, then puff pastry, baked and
> served with a green peppercorm/grainy mustard/cream brandy sauce....oh
> please, just kill me NOW.
>
> I was wondering what to cook for Crissmus....oh lordy, let me LIVE long
> enough to make THIS, PLEASE!

I'm gonna store this recipe. You have good taste!
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama

"Lass Chance_2" > wrote in message
...
> Did anybody but me wake up early enough to see Ty Florence make this
> incredible dish on TV this morning?
>
> Jeeeeeeez...I would gladly suck this thru my NOSE if necessary.
>
> a beef tenderloin wrapped in proscuito, then puff pastry, baked and
> served with a green peppercorm/grainy mustard/cream brandy sauce....oh
> please, just kill me NOW.
>
> I was wondering what to cook for Crissmus....oh lordy, let me LIVE long
> enough to make THIS, PLEASE!
>
> BEEF WELLINGTON
> 2 cups mushrooms
> 2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
> 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves
> only
> 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
> 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
> Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
>
> For the Beef:
> 1 (3-pound) center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed
> Extra-virgin olive oil
> Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 thin slices prosciutto
> 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
> 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
> Flour, for rolling out puff pastry
> 1 pound puff pastry, thawed if using frozen 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
> 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
> Minced chives, for garnish
> Green Peppercorn Sauce, recipe follows
> Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
> Warm Wilted Winter Greens, recipe follows
>
> Directions
> To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a
> food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and olive oil
> to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and
> mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid
> has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
> To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its
> cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season
> with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot,
> heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3
> minutes. Meanwhile set out your prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap
> (plastic needs to be about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap
> and tie the roast up in it) on top of your cutting board. Shingle the
> prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the
> entire filet of beef. Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin
> layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and
> pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared,
> remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon
> mustard. Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered
> prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight. Tuck in
> the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef.
> Roll it up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal it
> completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the refrigerator for
> 30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.
> Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
> On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a
> 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to
> overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Remove beef from refrigerator
> and cut off plastic. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and fold
> over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if
> necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the
> beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Top with
> coarse sea salt. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.
> Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in
> the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates
> vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to
> 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F
> on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting
> into thick slices. Garnish with minced chives, and serve with Green
> Peppercorn Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Warm Wilted Winter
> Greens.
> Green Peppercorn Sauce:
> 2 tablespoons olive oil
> 2 shallots, sliced
> 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
> 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
> 1 cup brandy
> 1 box beef stock
> 2 cups cream
> 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
> 1/2 cup green peppercorns in brine, drained, brine reserved
> Add olive oil to pan after removing beef. Add shallots, garlic, and
> thyme; saute for 1 to 2 minutes, then, off heat, add brandy and flambe
> using a long kitchen match. After flame dies down, return to the heat,
> add stock and reduce by about half. Strain out solids, then add 2 cups
> cream and mustard. Reduce by half again, then shut off heat and add
> green peppercorns.
>
>
I've made Beef Wellington a number of times, usually followng Julia Child's
recipe. It's one of those dishes you make less and less of as you age. There
are a number of errors in the above recipe. First, Beef Wellington is a
delicate dish. Assertive seasonings like peppercorn sauce and mustard are
not included, at least in any truely French recipe. You do lightly brown a
4-6" piece of whole filet, cover with a duxelles to which you add a bit of
pate to bind it and flavor it. Then you wrap it in puff pastry and bake it.
It should be served with a rich sauce like a Perigueux sauce, something like
the following.

Perigueux Sauce:
shallots, finely sliced
bouquet garni
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Madeira wine and or a small amount of cognac
fresh brown veal stock and beef stock about half and half and roux to
thicken the sauce slightly
tablespoons fresh duck foie gras
black truffle, finely chopped
unsalted butter

You can make this relatively easily using Trader Jose's frozen puff pastry,
and and more cheaply using their chicken liver pate to mix the duxulles.
Leave out the truffles. You can serve it with any mildly flavored beef or
veal/beef sauce thickened with roux and seasoned to taste with a bit of
Madeira wine. One of these days I'm going to do it again, when whole filet
is on sale at Costco.

Try it using my changes, and go easy with the sauce. It's something all
"chefs"[if we can call ourselves that] shoud do.

Best of Luck

Theron

Cheers, and look luck.

"Lass Chance_2" > wrote in message
...
> Did anybody but me wake up early enough to see Ty Florence make this
> incredible dish on TV this morning?
>
> Jeeeeeeez...I would gladly suck this thru my NOSE if necessary.
>
> a beef tenderloin wrapped in proscuito, then puff pastry, baked and
> served with a green peppercorm/grainy mustard/cream brandy sauce....oh
> please, just kill me NOW.
>

Yes, we saw it and it looked fantastic. It will be an upcoming meal. Maybe
New Years day. We've been invited out for Christmas (prime rib) so it will
have to wait a bit. Tonight is our company Christmas party and prime rib.
I also have a sirloin roast in the fridge that was on sale. Hmm, lots of
good beef this month.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

"Lass Chance_2" > wrote in message
...
> Did anybody but me wake up early enough to see Ty Florence make this
> incredible dish on TV this morning?
>
> Jeeeeeeez...I would gladly suck this thru my NOSE if necessary.
>
> a beef tenderloin wrapped in proscuito, then puff pastry, baked and
> served with a green peppercorm/grainy mustard/cream brandy sauce....oh
> please, just kill me NOW.
>
> I was wondering what to cook for Crissmus....oh lordy, let me LIVE long
> enough to make THIS, PLEASE!
>
> BEEF WELLINGTON


For many years a specialty of the Velvet Turtle chain of restaurants.

Always an impressive dish.

Dimitri

Nathalie---hey...yours sounds just as good and a whole LOT easier.

I didnt know you could get goose pate in a tube....I wonder if I can
find it here in the "sticks"...

I've only had pate once and expected to hate it, since Im NOT a liver
fan...but I thought it was glorious!

Thanks.

Lass


BEEF WELLINGTON

Group: rec.food.cooking Date: Mon, Dec 15, 2008, 3:40pm (EST+6) From:
Nathaliedotchivaatgmail.remove.com (Nathalie*Chiva)
On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 11:46:36 -0500, (Lass
Chance_2) wrote:
Did anybody but me wake up early enough to see Ty Florence make this
incredible dish on TV this morning?
Jeeeeeeez...I would gladly suck this thru my NOSE if necessary.
a beef tenderloin wrapped in proscuito, then puff pastry, baked and
served with a green peppercorm/grainy mustard/cream brandy sauce....oh
please, just kill me NOW.
I was wondering what to cook for Crissmus....oh lordy, let me LIVE long
enough to make THIS, PLEASE!
BEEF WELLINGTON
<snip recipe>
I love beef Wellingon and I'm actually making it tonight for 9 people,
but the recipe you are giving is way too complicated IMO. As the saying
goes, "Simplify, simplify"! My recipe is very simple (a bit trashy too,
I admit, the only trashy recipe I use :-))) and yet people usually scarf
it down like there is no tomorrow, complimenting me all the way.
Beef Wellington (serves 4)
1 sheet of puff pastry
1 filet of beef (800 gr)
1 tube of liver pate (yes it sounds gross, and yet...) A can of mixed
chopped mushrooms (I've tried with fresh, lovingly cleaned and sauteed
mushrooms, it doesn't make *any* difference, so...)
1 egg yolk
Salt, pepper
1 tbsp oil
In a large pan, heat the oil and brown the beef on all sides. Let cool.
Heat the oven (250°C, 450°F)
Spread the liver pate on the pastry sheet, leaving a 1 in. border all
around.
Spread the mushrooms on the pate.
Season the meat with salt and pepper. Put the meat on the puff pastry,
close the pastry on it, close the pastry on itself by pinching it all
around.
Beat the egg yolk, brush it on the pastry. Cook in the hot oven till the
pastry is cooked. Slice, serve. Very nice with a green salad.
Nathalie in Switzerland

Nathalie Chiva <Nathaliedotchivaatgmail.remove.com> wrote:

> I love beef Wellingon and I'm actually making it tonight for 9 people,
> but the recipe you are giving is way too complicated IMO. As the
> saying goes, "Simplify, simplify"! My recipe is very simple (a bit
> trashy too, I admit, the only trashy recipe I use :-))) and yet people
> usually scarf it down like there is no tomorrow, complimenting me all
> the way.

Quite right, "trashy" is the keyword here. It is not at all surprising
that you discovered that "trashy" ingredients do not really change the
dish. This is because the very concept of this dish is trashy. I have
said it once and I will say it again: Of all the famous recipes, Beef
Wellington (or boeuf en crôute or boeuf en brioche, which are basically
the same thing) is one of the most overrated. Roasting or browning a
solid piece of meat and then steaming it (which is what happens, once
you enclose it in a pastry shell and continue to cook) does nothing for
its flavour, except for dumbing it down. The pastry adds its own
bland-down effect and the optional addition of foie gras is designed
more to impress the guest than to improve the dish. It's not accidental
that most pie-type meat dishes call for *minced* meat - it somehow
blends in and contributes to the making of a harmonious whole, rather
than to a combination of basically unrelated ingredients. But that's
just MHO and it doesn't mean I wouldn't be able to enjoy the dish - just
not on the same level as a really well-composed one.

BTW, Nathalie, you might want to fix your clock; it appears to be a day
fast (whereas Beef Wellington is hopefully a thing of the forgettable
past).

Victor

On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:41:33 +0100, (Victor Sack)
wrote:

>This is because the very concept of this dish is trashy. I have
>said it once and I will say it again: Of all the famous recipes, Beef
>Wellington (or boeuf en crôute or boeuf en brioche, which are basically
>the same thing) is one of the most overrated. Roasting or browning a
>solid piece of meat and then steaming it (which is what happens, once
>you enclose it in a pastry shell and continue to cook) does nothing for
>its flavour, except for dumbing it down.

Thanks. You justified why I don't like it. I've tried, but I can't.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

(Victor Sack) wrote in news:1irykie.physcv6da4N%
:

> BTW, Nathalie, you might want to fix your clock; it appears to be a day
> fast (whereas Beef Wellington is hopefully a thing of the forgettable
> past).
>
> Victor
>

My recipe calls for some brandy in the liver pate. (imagine the accent over
the e in pate as my puter is acting up). The brandy/cognac adds some nice
flavour to the dish.

--

The beet goes on -Alan

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:41:33 +0100, (Victor Sack)
> wrote:
>
> >This is because the very concept of this dish is trashy. I have
> >said it once and I will say it again: Of all the famous recipes, Beef
> >Wellington (or boeuf en crôute or boeuf en brioche, which are basically
> >the same thing) is one of the most overrated. Roasting or browning a
> >solid piece of meat and then steaming it (which is what happens, once
> >you enclose it in a pastry shell and continue to cook) does nothing for
> >its flavour, except for dumbing it down.
>
> Thanks. You justified why I don't like it. I've tried, but I can't.

I've been dubious about it too. I think I'd rather have pot pies?
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama

Omelet wrote:

> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
>
>>On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:41:33 +0100, (Victor Sack)
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>>This is because the very concept of this dish is trashy. I have
>>>said it once and I will say it again: Of all the famous recipes, Beef
>>>Wellington (or boeuf en crôute or boeuf en brioche, which are basically
>>>the same thing) is one of the most overrated. Roasting or browning a
>>>solid piece of meat and then steaming it (which is what happens, once
>>>you enclose it in a pastry shell and continue to cook) does nothing for
>>>its flavour, except for dumbing it down.
>>
>>Thanks. You justified why I don't like it. I've tried, but I can't.
>
>
> I've been dubious about it too. I think I'd rather have pot pies?

I love pot pies.

Many years ago when my dad first got sick my mom was working nights as a
nurse and picking up as many shifts as she could while dad was laid up.
My husband was working nights too so I would go over to my parents'
place and fix dinner for dad and myself.

He didn't have much appetite but desperately needed the calories so I
went out of my way to fix things I knew he'd like and one of them was
pot pies. Flaky homemade crust, meat, gravy, veggies, a whole meal in
one dish. A whole pie was exactly the right size for me and my dad,
with plenty left for mom and my husband to heat up when they got home.

Another thing I discovered was how to take advantage of his
Depression-era upbringing. Left to his own devices he'd only take a
tiny amount of whatever I'd fixed. But if I left him sitting in the
living room watching TV, I could fix him a plate with decent-sized
portions of everything and a big glass of chocolate milk and bring it to
him and he'd finish it all without fail.

On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 11:46:36 -0500, (Lass
Chance_2) wrote:

>Did anybody but me wake up early enough to see Ty Florence make this
>incredible dish on TV this morning?
>
>Jeeeeeeez...I would gladly suck this thru my NOSE if necessary.
>
>a beef tenderloin wrapped in proscuito, then puff pastry, baked and
>served with a green peppercorm/grainy mustard/cream brandy sauce....oh
>please, just kill me NOW.
>
>I was wondering what to cook for Crissmus....oh lordy, let me LIVE long
>enough to make THIS, PLEASE!
>
>BEEF WELLINGTON
<snip recipe>

I love beef Wellingon and I'm actually making it tonight for 9 people,
but the recipe you are giving is way too complicated IMO. As the
saying goes, "Simplify, simplify"! My recipe is very simple (a bit
trashy too, I admit, the only trashy recipe I use :-))) and yet people
usually scarf it down like there is no tomorrow, complimenting me all
the way.

Beef Wellington (serves 4)
1 sheet of puff pastry
1 filet of beef (800 gr)
1 tube of liver pate (yes it sounds gross, and yet...)
A can of mixed chopped mushrooms (I've tried with fresh, lovingly
cleaned and sauteed mushrooms, it doesn't make *any* difference,
so...)
1 egg yolk
Salt, pepper
1 tbsp oil

In a large pan, heat the oil and brown the beef on all sides. Let
cool.
Heat the oven (250°C, 450°F)
Spread the liver pate on the pastry sheet, leaving a 1 in. border all
around.
Spread the mushrooms on the pate.
Season the meat with salt and pepper. Put the meat on the puff pastry,
close the pastry on it, close the pastry on itself by pinching it all
around.
Beat the egg yolk, brush it on the pastry.
Cook in the hot oven till the pastry is cooked. Slice, serve. Very
nice with a green salad.

Nathalie in Switzerland

In article >,
Kathleen > wrote:

> I love pot pies.

Me too! ;-d

>
> Many years ago when my dad first got sick my mom was working nights as a
> nurse and picking up as many shifts as she could while dad was laid up.
> My husband was working nights too so I would go over to my parents'
> place and fix dinner for dad and myself.
>
> He didn't have much appetite but desperately needed the calories so I
> went out of my way to fix things I knew he'd like and one of them was
> pot pies. Flaky homemade crust, meat, gravy, veggies, a whole meal in
> one dish. A whole pie was exactly the right size for me and my dad,
> with plenty left for mom and my husband to heat up when they got home.
>
> Another thing I discovered was how to take advantage of his
> Depression-era upbringing. Left to his own devices he'd only take a
> tiny amount of whatever I'd fixed. But if I left him sitting in the
> living room watching TV, I could fix him a plate with decent-sized
> portions of everything and a big glass of chocolate milk and bring it to
> him and he'd finish it all without fail.

<lol> I've noted that if I "serve" dad too, I can get him to eat more.
I need to make some gravy out of those pan drippings I saved from this
past weekends turkey roasting. I've got them in the 'frige.

Sometimes, I can also make up a plate of stuff if he's asleep and leave
it in the 'frige. He'll heat that up and eat the whole thing since it's
"presented".

Another way I can get him to eat more is to mix stuff into eggs with a
little cheese. He adores Omelets and will snarf down a 3 or 4 egger.
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama

Nathalie Chiva wrote:
> On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 11:46:36 -0500, (Lass
> Chance_2) wrote:
>
>> Did anybody but me wake up early enough to see Ty Florence make this
>> incredible dish on TV this morning?
>>
>> Jeeeeeeez...I would gladly suck this thru my NOSE if necessary.
>>
>> a beef tenderloin wrapped in proscuito, then puff pastry, baked and
>> served with a green peppercorm/grainy mustard/cream brandy sauce....oh
>> please, just kill me NOW.
>>
>> I was wondering what to cook for Crissmus....oh lordy, let me LIVE long
>> enough to make THIS, PLEASE!
>>
>> BEEF WELLINGTON
> <snip recipe>
>
> I love beef Wellingon and I'm actually making it tonight for 9 people,
> but the recipe you are giving is way too complicated IMO. As the
> saying goes, "Simplify, simplify"! My recipe is very simple (a bit
> trashy too, I admit, the only trashy recipe I use :-))) and yet people
> usually scarf it down like there is no tomorrow, complimenting me all
> the way.
>
> Beef Wellington (serves 4)
> 1 sheet of puff pastry
> 1 filet of beef (800 gr)
> 1 tube of liver pate (yes it sounds gross, and yet...)
> A can of mixed chopped mushrooms (I've tried with fresh, lovingly
> cleaned and sauteed mushrooms, it doesn't make *any* difference,
> so...)
> 1 egg yolk
> Salt, pepper
> 1 tbsp oil
>
> In a large pan, heat the oil and brown the beef on all sides. Let
> cool.
> Heat the oven (250°C, 450°F)
> Spread the liver pate on the pastry sheet, leaving a 1 in. border all
> around.
> Spread the mushrooms on the pate.
> Season the meat with salt and pepper. Put the meat on the puff pastry,
> close the pastry on it, close the pastry on itself by pinching it all
> around.
> Beat the egg yolk, brush it on the pastry.
> Cook in the hot oven till the pastry is cooked. Slice, serve. Very
> nice with a green salad.
>


It doesn't sound gross to me. I have never done Beef Wellington per se
but i have done Boeuf en Croute...... individual servings of beef
tenderloin wrapped in puff pastry with pate on top.


The first time I did it was for my brother and his wife for New Years
Eve. My wife had found the recipe and took off to run errands leaving me
to prepare it, using a recipe from a French cookbook. it turned out to
be one of those recipes that called for a little of this and a little of
that.... the sorts of things that a good French housewife or a
restaurant would have on hand. For the benefit of the rest of us, there
were sub recipes scattered throughout the book, some of them having sub
recipes. I had to make puff pastry, browning sauce, mushroom
flavouring, liver pate.....

The filet had to be roasted for about 20 minutes in the oven, then
assembled with the mushroom flavouring and pate, wrapped up in pastry
and then baked.

They turned out great.

I took a lot of short cuts.

Dave Smith said...

> The first time I did it was for my brother and his wife for New Years
> Eve. My wife had found the recipe and took off to run errands leaving me
> to prepare it, using a recipe from a French cookbook. it turned out to
> be one of those recipes that called for a little of this and a little of
> that.... the sorts of things that a good French housewife or a
> restaurant would have on hand. For the benefit of the rest of us, there
> were sub recipes scattered throughout the book, some of them having sub
> recipes. I had to make puff pastry, browning sauce, mushroom
> flavouring, liver pate.....
>
> The filet had to be roasted for about 20 minutes in the oven, then
> assembled with the mushroom flavouring and pate, wrapped up in pastry
> and then baked.
>
> They turned out great.
>
> I took a lot of short cuts.


I've enjoyed Beef Wellington probably a handful of times. My favorite was
at a polo club in Florida, with a beginning great bowl of French onion
soup!!!

I ordered a pig's portion.

Then we watched the polo match. I was in awe at how frigging big a polo
field actually is, and how a horse's hoof could make such deep potholes in
the lawn.

I know I'd enjoy Beef Wellington again!

Andy

Victor Sack wrote:
> Nathalie Chiva <Nathaliedotchivaatgmail.remove.com> wrote:
>
>> I love beef Wellingon and I'm actually making it tonight for 9 people,
>> but the recipe you are giving is way too complicated IMO. As the
>> saying goes, "Simplify, simplify"! My recipe is very simple (a bit
>> trashy too, I admit, the only trashy recipe I use :-))) and yet people
>> usually scarf it down like there is no tomorrow, complimenting me all
>> the way.
>
> Quite right, "trashy" is the keyword here. It is not at all surprising
> that you discovered that "trashy" ingredients do not really change the
> dish. This is because the very concept of this dish is trashy. I have
> said it once and I will say it again: Of all the famous recipes, Beef
> Wellington (or boeuf en crôute or boeuf en brioche, which are basically
> the same thing) is one of the most overrated. Roasting or browning a
> solid piece of meat and then steaming it (which is what happens, once
> you enclose it in a pastry shell and continue to cook) does nothing for
> its flavour, except for dumbing it down.


Baloney. I have done Bouef en Croute several times and it was delicious.

Nathalie Chiva <Nathaliedotchivaatgmail.remove.com> wrote:

>
> Well you see, with this recipe, the cooking time is so short that you
> get the best of both worlds: tender, very rare meat (not steamed at
> all), and a delectable pate-infused crust with tender mushrooms.

FWIW, I use a very similar method, although I use chicken liver pate
instead of goose liver pate (for my own reasons). And it
doesn't 'steam' the beef. I have also tried it with the beef wrapped in
proscuttio, then in pastry - and that was pretty good too.

> It
> really *is* good, albeit... trashy ;-)

Trashy or not - it is darn good. :-)

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Andy wrote:

>
>
> I've enjoyed Beef Wellington probably a handful of times. My favorite was
> at a polo club in Florida, with a beginning great bowl of French onion
> soup!!!
>
> I ordered a pig's portion.
>
> Then we watched the polo match. I was in awe at how frigging big a polo
> field actually is, and how a horse's hoof could make such deep potholes in
> the lawn.


I would love to watch a polo match. Hell. I'd love to try playing that
game. My sister in law's brother plays polo. Maybe I should see where he
plays and maybe get to try it. He lives about 50 miles from here.

> I know I'd enjoy Beef Wellington again!

I still have me Bouef en Croute recipe and plan to use it again. Maybe I
should make up some browning sauce in anticipation. Once I have that I
will have no excuse not to do it.

On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 10:53:49 -0500, (Lass
Chance_2) wrote:

>Nathalie---hey...yours sounds just as good and a whole LOT easier.
>
>I didnt know you could get goose pate in a tube....I wonder if I can
>find it here in the "sticks"...

No no, I'm not talking about goose pate, just ordinary liver pate :-)


Nathalie in Switzerland

Kathleen wrote:

>
> Many years ago when my dad first got sick my mom was working nights as a
> nurse and picking up as many shifts as she could while dad was laid up.
> My husband was working nights too so I would go over to my parents'
> place and fix dinner for dad and myself.
>
> He didn't have much appetite but desperately needed the calories so I
> went out of my way to fix things I knew he'd like and one of them was
> pot pies. Flaky homemade crust, meat, gravy, veggies, a whole meal in
> one dish. A whole pie was exactly the right size for me and my dad,
> with plenty left for mom and my husband to heat up when they got home.

Our traditional Christmas Eve meal is meat pie. Everyone raves about my
tortiere. I think they like it more than I do. I prefer my wife's steak
and mushroom. She braises the meat ahead of time and gets the gravy just
the right thickness that it won't be too soupy or too solid after it is
baked in the pie. It is wonderful stuff.

On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:41:33 +0100, (Victor Sack)
wrote:

>Nathalie Chiva <Nathaliedotchivaatgmail.remove.com> wrote:
>
>> I love beef Wellingon and I'm actually making it tonight for 9 people,
>> but the recipe you are giving is way too complicated IMO. As the
>> saying goes, "Simplify, simplify"! My recipe is very simple (a bit
>> trashy too, I admit, the only trashy recipe I use :-))) and yet people
>> usually scarf it down like there is no tomorrow, complimenting me all
>> the way.
>
>Quite right, "trashy" is the keyword here. It is not at all surprising
>that you discovered that "trashy" ingredients do not really change the
>dish. This is because the very concept of this dish is trashy. I have
>said it once and I will say it again: Of all the famous recipes, Beef
>Wellington (or boeuf en crôute or boeuf en brioche, which are basically
>the same thing) is one of the most overrated. Roasting or browning a
>solid piece of meat and then steaming it (which is what happens, once
>you enclose it in a pastry shell and continue to cook) does nothing for
>its flavour, except for dumbing it down. The pastry adds its own
>bland-down effect and the optional addition of foie gras is designed
>more to impress the guest than to improve the dish. It's not accidental
>that most pie-type meat dishes call for *minced* meat - it somehow
>blends in and contributes to the making of a harmonious whole, rather
>than to a combination of basically unrelated ingredients. But that's
>just MHO and it doesn't mean I wouldn't be able to enjoy the dish - just
>not on the same level as a really well-composed one.

Well you see, with this recipe, the cooking time is so short that you
get the best of both worlds: tender, very rare meat (not steamed at
all), and a delectable pate-infused crust with tender mushrooms. It
really *is* good, albeit... trashy ;-)

Nathalie in Switzerland

Dave Smith said...

> Andy wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> I've enjoyed Beef Wellington probably a handful of times. My favorite
>> was at a polo club in Florida, with a beginning great bowl of French
>> onion soup!!!
>>
>> I ordered a pig's portion.
>>
>> Then we watched the polo match. I was in awe at how frigging big a polo
>> field actually is, and how a horse's hoof could make such deep potholes
>> in the lawn.
>
>
> I would love to watch a polo match. Hell. I'd love to try playing that
> game. My sister in law's brother plays polo. Maybe I should see where he
> plays and maybe get to try it. He lives about 50 miles from here.
>
>> I know I'd enjoy Beef Wellington again!
>
> I still have me Bouef en Croute recipe and plan to use it again. Maybe I
> should make up some browning sauce in anticipation. Once I have that I
> will have no excuse not to do it.


Dave Smith,

Maybe you should.
Maybe you should.

Best,

Andy

Nathalie Chiva <Nathaliedotchivaatgmail.remove.com> wrote:

> Well you see, with this recipe, the cooking time is so short that you
> get the best of both worlds: tender, very rare meat (not steamed at
> all), and a delectable pate-infused crust with tender mushrooms. It
> really *is* good, albeit... trashy ;-)

The pastry needs some time to cook. In the time it is cooked through,
the meat has necessarily strated steaming. The laws of physics are
there always. If, for some reason (for example partially pre-cooked
pastry), the beef is hardly cooked further, you get what I pointed out -
a combination of basically unrelated ingredients. If you like beef
fillet and some kind of pté, why not make tournedos à la Rossini, not
an ideal combination, either, but a lot better than Beef Wellington
(which is really a fad dish, mostly of the 1960s - you won't find many
good chefs offering it or including the recipe in their cookbooks).
Beef Wellington is visually a very appealing dish, one clearly designed
to make an impression. As I posted, it is not really a bad dish and I
would enjoy it - and your version, in spite or maybe beacuse of its
"trashy" ingredients, sounds better than most - just not as much as a
really well-composed dish.

BTW, Julia Child for some unfathomable reason includes Beef Wellington
in her _The French Chef Cookbook_. Her recipe is beyond elaborate - and
for a good reason. She goes to extraordinary lengths to both point out
the basic lack of taste of the beef fillet as such - and so calls to
marinate it for 24 hours - and to use mushroom duxelles, Madeira and
foie gras in its preparation. Once enclosed in its pastry shell, the
pre-baked fillet is supposed to be baked for further 45 minutes, so the
steaming is virtually unavoidable.

Victor

Dave Smith > wrote:

> Victor Sack wrote:
> >
> > Quite right, "trashy" is the keyword here. It is not at all surprising
> > that you discovered that "trashy" ingredients do not really change the
> > dish. This is because the very concept of this dish is trashy. I have
> > said it once and I will say it again: Of all the famous recipes, Beef
> > Wellington (or boeuf en crôute or boeuf en brioche, which are basically
> > the same thing) is one of the most overrated. Roasting or browning a
> > solid piece of meat and then steaming it (which is what happens, once
> > you enclose it in a pastry shell and continue to cook) does nothing for
> > its flavour, except for dumbing it down.
>
> Baloney. I have done Bouef en Croute several times and it was delicious.

You have no taste, then, and no reading comprehension, either.

Victor