Mini beef Wellingtons with morel mushrooms, sherry & thyme

As always, the sherry in this dish is optional. I made this recipe for a very small family gathering, telling everyone ahead of the day what foods were on the menu. Everyone was totally into it except one person, who shall remain nameless, who said that they would like theirs with no pastry. And so, the ‘naked’ beef Wellington was born – although I prefer to eat my Wellingtons fully clad!

From Home Cooking Made Easy.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 x 500g packet of puff pastry

Plain flour, for dusting

1 x 20g packet of dried jumbo morels or 20g dried porcini mushrooms

Oil, for cooking

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 x 180g slices of beef fillet

4 small shallots, peeled and very finely chopped

Knob of butter

500g chestnut mushrooms, wiped and finely chopped

1 generous glug of medium sweet sherry (optional)

Large handful of fresh thyme leaves

1 egg, lightly beaten, for the eggwash

300ml double cream

METHOD

Roll out the puff pastry on a well-floured work surface to 0.5cm and about 36 x 36cm square. Trim the edges with a sharp knife to neaten them up a little if necessary, then cut the square into four squares and place them on two baking trays. Pop them in the fridge for 5 minutes to firm up a little.

Rinse the dried mushrooms in cold water, then put them in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Leave to soak for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat some oil in a frying pan and heat until very hot. Season the beef well all over and pan-fry it for 1 minute on each side, then set aside.

Put the shallots in the pan and fry for 4–5 minutes or so until softened, then add the butter and chestnut mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Meanwhile, drain the morels (save the liquid for a soup or stock) and finely chop, then add them to the pan together with the glug of sherry, if using. Turn up the heat and cook until most of the sherry has evaporated and the mushrooms are looking dryish and not too mushy. Add the thyme, check the seasoning and cook for 1 more minute, then take the pan off the heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Remove the pastry from the fridge – it should be maleable but not too soft. Put a large tablespoon of the mushroom mixture into the centre of the pastry and spread it out to the same size as a beef steak. Pop the steak on top and brush a little of the eggwash around the edges of the pastry. Draw up the corners and edges of the pastry so they meet and overlap slightly in the middle. Turn it right side up and shape it round the sides a little with your hands. Repeat with the other three beef fillets and pastry squares. There will be a good amount of mushroom mixture left over, and this is for the sauce later. If the pastry is too soft, put it in the fridge for 5 minutes or so to firm up. This will make sure the pastry does not just melt into a gooey mess in the oven before it has had a chance to puff up.

Before baking, slash the tops to a design of your liking and brush them all over with more eggwash. Cook in the oven for about 14 minutes for medium rare, or cook for longer or shorter depending on how you like your beef.

Five minutes before the Wellingtons are ready, reheat the mushroom mixture. When it is hot, add the double cream and cook on a high heat for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then take off the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.

When the Wellingtons are ready, remove them from the oven and serve with the sauce and a big glass of a hearty red wine.