Beef Tenderloin Roast - 400g - Flat or Portobelo mushrooms - 4-6 slices Parma ham (Black Forest will do in a pinch) - English mustard - 200g (PC Butter) Puff Pastry - 2 Egg yolks - Approx 8 Charlotte/New potatoes - 1 Clove garlic, crushed - 1 shallot, finely minced - 1 Sprig thyme - Salt and pepper - Olive oil
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC). Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper.
2. Heat some oil in a large pan and quickly seal the beef all over until it's brown. Remove and allow to cool. The point of this is simply to sear the beef and seal all those juices in, you don't want to cook the meat at this stage. Allow to cool and brush generously with English mustard.
3. Roughly chop the mushrooms and blend in a food processor to form a Purée. Scrape the mixture into a hot fry pan and allow the water to evaporate. When sufficiently dry (the mixture should be sticking together easily), set aside and cool.
4. Roll out a generous length of plastic wrap, lay out the slices of ham, each one slightly overlapping the last. With a pallet knife / butter knife, spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the ham.
5. Place the beef in the middle and keeping a tight hold of the plastic wrap from the outside edge, neatly roll the ham and mushrooms over the beef into a tight barrel shape. Twist the ends to secure the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, this allows the Wellington to set and helps keep the shape.
6. Roll out the puff pastry quite thinly to a size which will cover your beef, use a rolling pin to help flatten pastry. Unwrap the meat from the plastic wrap and place atop the pastry, in the middle. Egg wash: lightly beating an egg and brush it onto the pastry. Roll up the pastry, cut any excess off the ends and fold neatly to the 'underside'. Turnover and egg wash over the top and scar with a knife. Chill again to let the pastry cool, approximately 5 minutes. Egg wash again before baking at 200c for 35 - 40 minutes. Rest 8 -10 minutes before slicing.
