3 1/2 lb beef fillet, tied and larded at ro, om temp
3/4 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 lb pate de foie gras, at room t mp
1 lb puff pastry
1 large egg white, beaten
1 large egg yolk beaten with
1 tsp water
1/2 cup sercial madeira
2 tsp arrowroot, dissolved in
1 tbsp cold water
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tbsp black truffles, finely chopp d
1 watercress for garnish
Directions
In a roasting pan, roast the beef in the middle of a preheated 400f
oven for 25-30 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 120f.
Let the fillet cool completely and discard the larding fat and
strings. Skim the fat from the pan juices and reserve the juices. In
a heavy skillet, cook the mushrooms in butter over mod-low heat,
stirring, until all liquid they give off is evaporated and the
mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper and let cool completely.
Spread the fillet evenly with foie gras, covering the top and sides,
and spread the mushrooms evenly over the foie gras. On a floured
surface, roll one lb. of puff pastry into a rectangle about 20x12
inches, or large enough to enclose the roast completely. Invert the
fillet in the middle of the pastry and fold up the long sides to
enclose it, brushing the edges of the dough with some egg white to
seal them. Fold the ends of the dough over the fillet and seal with
the egg white. Transfer the fillet, seam side down, to a jelly-roll
pan and brush the dough with egg wash. Roll out additional dough and
cut out shapes with which to decorate the dough. After applying,
brush with egg wash. Chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
Bake the fillet in the middle of a preheated 400f oven for 30 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350f and bake an additional 5-10 minutes more or
until a meat thermometer registers 130f for medium rare meat and the
pastry is cooked through. Let stand for 15 minutes. In a saucepan,
boil the reserved pan juices and the Madeira until the mixture is
reduced by one fourth. Add the arrowroot mixture, broth, truffles,
and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the sauce over moderate heat,
stirring, for 5 minutes or until thickened, being careful not to let
it boil. Loosen the fillet from the pan, transfering it to a heated
platter. Garnish with watercress. Serve the fillet cut into 3/4-inch
thick slices, with the sauce. a 1966 Gourmet Mag. favorite.
Servings: 8 servings
Beef Wellington (Gourmet Mag) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Beef; Gourmet; Meat
The History of Recipes
Experts have traced the existance of recipes way back into distant history, certainly as far back as the ancient Egyptians, and maybe even further. Having said that, generally, these ancient cookbooks were just very basic hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for meal preparation.
In fact, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to historians is a series of stone tablets in ancient Sumerian which describe the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making drinkers feel `wonderful`. Later on, in The time of the roman empire 25BC a man called Apicius created a number of documents showing how to cook the recipes cooked by the Romans. In his works, Apicius recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were divided into appetizers, main course and afters, a very modern way of dining. Aspicius also tells us how the cooks of his times made use of a wide range of aromatic flavors, including a few that will be familiar to modern chefs like thyme, mint and parsley. Later, we have some interesting books from the fourteenth century - one book called `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary entitled `Curye on Inglish`. Amusingly, these two books are not about the spicy food that we all know today, but instead accounts of the types of food eaten by the upper classes of that time. Later, in the fifteenth century, knights returning from the crusades brought us a variety of foods, spices and herbs from Arab countries, including spices like coriander, parsley, and rosemary. These new herbs and spices created an increase in cookery books, the majority of which are now in private cookery archives. For the decades that followed, the rich families of Wesstern Europe strove to offer the best banquets, and as a consequence, the best chefs and their recipes were much in demand. Even so, it was during the nineteenth century the formal cooking and cookery books rose to prominence. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the US, dedicated years of their lives to assembling, trying out, and publishing recipes that were common in the better off homes of the day. By the time we get to the 1900s, cooking publications were greatly in demand due to more people being able to read, people having increased leisure time and having more money. The arrival of television brings us TV chefs and the spin-off recipe books. Which brings us neatly to the present day and the invention of computers and the internet, allowing everyone to search through massive numbers of recipes just like those on sites such as this. |
We hope you enjoy this Beef Wellington (Gourmet Mag) recipe.
