Ingredients

• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion
• sliced
• 1 garlic clove
• finely chopped
• 2 carrots
• diced
• 2 celery stalks
• thinly sliced
• 1kg/2lb 4oz beef fillet
• trimmed
• 75g/3oz duck liver pâté (parfait)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp truffle oil (optional)
• 6-8 rindless streaky bacon rashers
• 3-4 fresh bay leaves
• 100ml/3½fl oz cognac
• 200ml/7fl oz Madeira
• 150ml/5fl oz fresh beef stock
• handful chopped fresh parsley
• creamed potatoes
• green beans

Directions

• Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion
• garlic
• carrots and celery for 10-12 minutes
• or until softened and golden-brown. (You may need to increase the heat toward the end of the cooking time to encourage the vegetables to brown.) Spoon the cooked vegetables into a casserole dish.
• Place the beef fillet onto a chopping board. Cut a pocket in the side of the fillet
• leaving a 2cm/1in gap at each end. (Make sure that you only make an incision halfway into the meat and that you don’t cut the meat into two pieces).
• Cut the pâté into 1.5cm/½inwide strips
• place them inside the pocket and drizzle with the truffle oil
• if using. Close the pocket to encase the filling. Season the beef all over with sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
• Wrap the beef in the bacon rashers and secure with kitchen string. Place a bay leaf between the bacon and string every other rasher. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Heat the frying pan and add the remaining oil and brown the beef fillet in the frying pan for 10-12 minutes
• or until the bacon is crisp and golden-brown. Place the beef fillet on top of the vegetables.
• Remove all but two tablespoons of fat from the frying pan and stir in the flour. Slowly add the cognac
• stirring constantly. Once the mixture is boiling
• add the Madeira
• followed by the beef stock. Bring the liquid to a simmer then pour immediately around the beef. Cook the beef in the oven for 30-35 minutes for rare beef
• or 40 minutes for medium-rare.
• Carefully remove the beef onto a chopping board
• cover with a piece of foil and two tea towels. Return the casserole to the hob and simmer for 2-3 minutes
• or until the liquid thickens slightly. Strain through a fine sieve into a warmed jug. Carve the beef into thick pieces.
• Pour some of the sauce into six deep plates. Place the beef on top and garnish with fresh parsley and serve with creamed potatoes and green beans.