6 thick beef fillet steaks with a good marbling of fat
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp English mustard
plain flour
for dusting
500g/1lb 2oz puff pastry
1 large free-range egg
beaten
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g/14oz seasonal greens
steamed
Directions
For the filling
first soak the porcini in boiling water for 10–15 minutes until they are plump and tender. Drain
reserving the soaking liquid
and chop finely.
Melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until foaming. Add the shallots and fry for 6 minutes until softened. Stir in the porcini and the chestnut mushrooms together with the thyme and cook for 6 minutes until tender. Pour in the mushroom soaking liquid
brandy and cream and simmer until the liquid has reduced and the mixture thickened. Put the filling into a clean bowl and leave to cool completely.
For the beef Wellington
season the steaks with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Wipe the pan used to cook the filling with kitchen paper and then place it back over a high heat with a little oil and brown the steaks
in batches if necessary
for about 1 minute on each side. Remove from the heat and rest for at least 30 minutes. When completely cooled
brush each one with mustard.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle measuring about 45x30cm/18x12in and about 3mm thick. Divide the rectangle into six squares
each one big enough to wrap all the way around each fillet.
Divide the mushroom mixture among the six squares and spread over the pastry
leaving 1cm uncovered all the way around the edge. Place the beef fillet on top. Brush the pastry edges with the egg
then lift the pastry edges over the beef and turn over tucking in the edges neatly. Put the parcels on a baking tray
seam-side down.
Cook in the oven for 15–20 minutes for medium rare
or to your liking.
Remove from the oven to rest for 5 minutes before serving on warmed plates with steamed greens.
