Beef Wellington & Madeira Sauce

Beef Wellington
Beef Wellington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beef Wellington

Although this is an extremely elegant main course, there is no definitive recipe.  Like wise there is no true source with which to say the dish was created.  Most people assume that the dish is some how related to Arthur Wellesley the 1st Duke of Wellington, and that it comes from some dish he favored.  Others theories suggest it was developed by a patriotic chef, another theory invented it in  Wellington N.Z. for some occasion.  The least favorite theory I find is that it looked, after cooking, like a highly polished “Wellington” boot, Oh so tasty!

About the only two sure things in the recipes is that the beef is en croute, wrapped in puff pastry and it won’t be found in too many French cookbooks.  The other ingredients are up for discussion and you can go from a prohibitively expensive dish with foie gras with truffles and a truffle sauce to a more modest version using some form of liver pâté and a more modest sauce.  Seemingly a daunting dish to prepare, it is in truth a fairly simple dish that does use slightly expensive ingredients.

The main ingredient is a tenderloin of beef.  It can made as one large piece of meat or as individual servings which takes a little more work.  The rest of the processes are the same.

Since it is baked in a pastry shell there is no gravy, so a sauce must be prepared and again here you will have a large variety of choices.  My two favorites would be Bearnaise or a Madeira sauce,  of course you can go with a simple thicken beef gravy, also there are no “laws” or sauce police to prevent you from experimenting.

About the only “must” is to use a piece of meat that is uniform in thickness so that it all cooks evenly.

Ingredients for Beef Wellington

This recipe is for a piece of meat that is 6 -8 inches in length.

  1. 1 center cut beef tenderloin 6 -8 ” trimmed of fat and silver-skin
  2. Salt & pepper
  3. 2 tbs butter & 2 tbs olive oil
  4. 1lbs. button mushrooms
  5. 2 large shallots
  6. 4 cloves of garlic
  7. 1 tsp thyme
  8. 1 sheet of puff pastry
  9. 1 – 2 lbs liver pâté (enough liver pâté to cover the beef but not the ends)
  10. mirepoix of onion chopped, celery chopped and parsley,1 bay leaf and pinch of rosemary

For the Madeira Sauce

  1. 2 cups brown sauce (recipe to follow)
  2. 1/3 cup Madeira wine

For Brown Sauce

  1. 4 cups beef stock
  2. 4 tbs butter or beef fat
  3. 4 tbs flour
  4. 1 onion diced
  5. 6 tbs tomato puree

Directions for the Brown Sauce

Making the sauce is the most time consuming part of the recipe and needs to be done well in advance of the actual dish.

In a sauce pan melt the butter and add the onion and cook to softened.  Then add the flour and cook until it begins to brown.  Once brown add the stock and purée mix well and cook until it’s reduced to about 2 cups.

Directions for Madeira Sauce

Take 2 cups of brown sauce and reduce to about 1 cup, then add 1/3 cup Madeira Wine and increase heat.  Do not let sauce come to a boil as this will lessen the flavor of the wine.

 

Directions for the Beef Wellington

Preheat oven to 450°

Take the tenderloin and season with salt and pepper and in a flat pan roast with the mirepoix sprinkled around it for about 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Duxelles:

In a food processor place the mushrooms, shallots and garlic and thyme and pulse until you have a finely chopped mixture.

In a frying pan place the butter and olive oil and melt and then cook the mushroom mixture until almost all the liquid has evaporated.   Set aside to cool.

Assembly:

When the meat is cool, take the puff pastry and roll out so that it is large enough to encompass the meat. 

Take the pâté and spread to completely cover all the sides of the tenderloin, but not the ends.  Spread the duxelles out on a large plate and  press the duxelles into the pâté covered beef ,covering all the pâté with the duxelles.

Now place the covered meat onto the puff pastry fold over and seal, completely, trimming ends if necessary.  Place it seam side down on a sheet pan.  Brush egg wash over entire pastry.  If you want before placing in oven you can decorate with leftover puff pastry ie. at Christmas perhaps use a tree cookie cutter and press this piece of dough on top and then brush with egg wash.

Bake in a 450° oven for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is brown. Serve the sauce on the side.

 

Beef Wellington
Beef Wellington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few items to help make this recipe;
Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB Prep 9 9-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless
Sterlingcraft Oblong Serving Tray
Zwilling J.A. Henckels Zwilling Four Star 2-Piece Carving Set

 

 

If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .

 

Please help us keep our blog going by letting your friends know we’re here and by checking out the links on our front page.

 

 

copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2013 all rights reserved

 

 

Beef Wellington & Madeira Sauce
Serves 6
A very elegant main course
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Ingredients
  1. This recipe is for a piece of meat that is 6 -8 inches in length.
  2. 1 center cut beef tenderloin 6 -8 " trimmed of fat and silver-skin
  3. Salt & pepper
  4. 2 tbs butter & 2 tbs olive oil
  5. 1lbs. button mushrooms
  6. 2 large shallots
  7. 4 cloves of garlic
  8. 1 tsp thyme
  9. 1 sheet of puff pastry
  10. 1 - 2 lbs liver pâté (enough liver pâté to cover the beef but not the ends)
  11. mirepoix of onion celery and parsley,1 bay leaf and pinch of rosemary
  12. For the Madeira Sauce
  13. 2 cups brown sauce (recipe to follow)
  14. 1/3 cup Madeira wine
  15. For Brown Sauce
  16. 4 cups beef stock
  17. 4 tbs butter or beef fat
  18. 4 tbs flour
  19. 1 onion diced
  20. 6 tbs tomato puree
Instructions
  1. Directions for the Brown Sauce
  2. Making the sauce is the most time consuming part of the recipe and needs to be done well in advance of the actual dish.
  3. In a sauce pan melt the butter and add the onion and cook to softened. Then add the flour and cook until it begins to brown. Once brown add the stock and puree mix well and cook until it's reduced to about 2 cups.
  4. Directions for Madeira Sauce
  5. Take 2 cups of brown sauce and reduce to about 1 cup, then add 1/3 cup Madeira Wine and increase heat. Do not let sauce come to a boil as this will lessen the flavor of the wine.
  6. Directions for the Beef Wellington
  7. Preheat oven to 450°
  8. Take the tenderloin and season with salt and pepper and in a flat pan roast with the mirepoix sprinkled around it for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Duxelles
  1. In a food processor place the mushrooms, shallots and garlic and thyme and pulse until you have a finely chopped mixture.
  2. In a frying pan place the butter and olive oil and melt and then cook the mushroom mixture until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool.
Assembly
  1. When the meat is cool, take the puff pastry and roll out so that it is large enough to encompass the meat.
  2. Take the pâté and spread to completely cover all the sides of the tenderloin, but not the ends. Spread the duxelles out on a large plate and press the duxelles into the pâté covered beef ,covering all the pâté with the duxelles.
  3. Now place the covered meat onto the puff pastry fold over and seal, completely, trimming ends if necessary. Place it seam side down on a sheet pan. Brush egg wash over entire pastry. If you want before placing in oven you can decorate with leftover puff pastry ie. at Christmas perhaps use a tree cookie cutter and press this piece of dough on top and then brush with egg wash.
  4. Bake in a 450° oven for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is brown. Serve the sauce on the side.
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/

 

 

 

Steak Au Poivre – Pepper Steak & Cognac Sauce

Steak Au Poivre
Steak Au Poivre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steak au Poivre, Pepper Steak

One of the great ways to prepare a steak, with a cognac sauce it is truly a great dish.  My recipe has a slight twist to it.  As necessity is the mother of invention, one time when making this dish I found that I didn’t have any heavy cream or the time to go get some.  So I substituted a little ½ & ½ and sour cream and it worked just fine, the sour cream giving the final sauce a slightly tangy flavor that I think you’ll like.  Although the traditional recipe calls for a Filet Mignon, I find that a well cut top sirloin works just as well.  I usually buy a whole top sirloin and cut my own steaks, so I know it will come out perfectly.  This recipe is for two steaks, if you are cooking for more just increase the quantities.  The recipe usually calls for the peppercorns to be crushed,  I find that a mill with a coarse grind works quite well.

Ingredients for Steak au Poivre

  1. 2 top sirloin steaks trimmed
  2. Freshly cracked black pepper ( approximately 2-3 tbs per steak)
  3. 2 tbs butter
  4. 1 large shallot diced
  5. 1- 2 oz. cognac
  6. ¾ – 1 cup good beef stock
  7. 5 -6 tbs ½ & ½
  8. 5 tbs sour cream or creme fraiche
  9. salt & pepper to taste

Directions for Steak au Poivre

Take the steaks and cover completely both sides with the cracked pepper pressing the pepper lightly into the steaks so that it adheres.  You want a nice coating so that when cooked it will produce a spicy crust.

In a saute pan melt the butter and on medium high heat sear the steaks to just slightly less than your desired doneness ( they will continue to cook while you finish the sauce).  Remove steaks to warm plate cover with foil and hold in a warm oven until sauce is finished.

If there is a lot of fat in the pan drain most of it out.  Add the shallot and cook briefly until softened.  When softened take the pan off the heat and add the Cognac, being careful to watch that it does not flame up (if you are comfortable with flambeing, go ahead and light the cognac, but it is not necessary and all the alcohol will cook off).  Return the pan to the heat and continue to cook until the cognac is almost completely reduced,

After the cognac is reduced add the beef stock and turn the heat up to high and reduce the sauce until it is thick and syrupy and a spoon dragged through the sauce will leave a momentary clear lane.

A spoon dragged through the sauce leaves a momentary clear lane
A spoon dragged through the sauce leaves a momentary clear lane

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the sauce is thicken to this stage reduce the heat slightly and add the ½ & ½ and the sour cream and stir to combine.  When the sauce is well mixed place the steaks with any juices that have accumulated back into the pan and coat with the sauce.  Plate, spooning sauce over the top of each steak and serve, placing remaining sauce in a sauce boat on the side.

 

Steak Au Poivre
Steak Au Poivre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few items to help make this recipe:
Trudeau No Mess Adjustable Pepper Mill
WearEver C944S264 Pure Living Nonstick Ceramic Coating PTFE-PFOA-Cadmium Free Dishwasher Safe 10-Inch and 8-Inch Saute Pan / Fry Pan Cookware Set, Champagne Gold

 

 

The Official                       Taste Tester
The Official Taste Tester

 

 

 

 

 

 

All that great meat, a shame to cover it up , sometimes I really don’t understand humans.  Still it is a great recipe so I give it 5 paws

 

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If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .

Please help us keep our blog going by letting your friends know we’re here and by checking out the links on our front page.

 

 

 

copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2013 all rights reserved

 

Steak Au Poivre
A fantastic steak recipe
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 2 top sirloin steaks trimmed
  2. Freshly cracked black pepper ( approximately 2-3 tbs per steak)
  3. 2 tbs butter
  4. 1 large shallot diced
  5. 1- 2 oz. cognac
  6. ¾ - 1 cup good beef stock
  7. 5 -6 tbs ½ & ½
  8. 5 tbs sour cream or creme fraiche
  9. salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Take the steaks and cover completely both sides with the cracked pepper pressing the pepper lightly into the steaks so that it adheres.
  2. In a saute pan melt the butter and on medium high heat sear the steaks to just slightly less than your desired doneness ( they will continue to cook while you finish the sauce). Remove steaks to warm plate cover with foil and hold in a warm oven until sauce is finished.
  3. If there is a lot of fat in the pan drain most of it out. Add the shallot and cook briefly until softened. When softened take the pan off the heat and add the Cognac, being careful to watch that it does not flame up (if you are comfortable with flambeing, go ahead and light the cognac, but it is not necessary and all the alcohol will cook off). Return the pan to the heat and continue to cook until the cognac is almost completely reduced,
  4. After the cognac is reduced add the beef stock and turn the heat up to high and reduce the sauce until it is thick and syrupy and a spoon dragged through the sauce will leave a momentary clear lane.
  5. A spoon dragged through the sauce leaves a momentary clear lane
  6. A spoon dragged through the sauce leaves a momentary clear lane
  7. Once the sauce is thicken to this stage reduce the heat slightly and add the ½ & ½ and the sour cream and stir to combine. When the sauce is well mixed place the steaks with any juices that have accumulated back into the pan and coat with the sauce. Plate, spooning sauce over the top of each steak and serve, placing remaining sauce in a sauce boat on the side.
Notes
  1. recipe is for 2 steaks if making more just increase amounts accordingly
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smoked Scottish Salmon Christmas Tree Hors D’Oeuvre

Smoked Salmon Christmas Trees
Smoked Salmon Christmas Trees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smoked Scottish Salmon Christmas Tree Hors D’Oeuvre

Going through old photos we found a number of old recipe shots from parties and dinners long ago.  This one was a huge hit at one of the Christmas parties we held.  Took a bit of work but they came out great.

Ingredients for Smoked Salmon Hors D’Oeuvre

  1. Smoked Scottish Salmon thinly sliced
  2. Onion (red or white) very thinly sliced
  3. cream cheese softened (Whipped preferred)
  4. capers
  5. diced pimento
  6. thinly sliced pumpernickel bread

Directions for Hors D’Oeuvre

For the trees

Take the pumpernickel bread and using a Christmas Tree cookie cutter cut out as many trees as you are going to be making.  Spread a very thin layer of cream cheese onto one side of the trees.  Using an aspic cutter star shaped cut stars or what ever other design you want out of the leftover pieces of pumpernickel.

Take the Salmon and lay it out flat and using the same cookie cutter , cut tree shapes of salmon and place onto the cream cheese side of the pumpernickel.  Take left over pieces of salmon and group into rectangles slightly larger than the tree and cut out and using  spatula place onto pumpernickel. *

Now taking the thinly sliced onion crisscross it down the tree to resemble garland.  Place a few capers and pimento to resemble decorations, and place the star shaped bread at the top of the tree.  Arrange on a platter to serve.

For Wreaths

Using wreath cookie cutter, cut out the pumpernickel bread,  layer with salmon or spread cream cheese or  a pâté  and decorate.  Use small aspic apostrophe cutter to make the bows.  For a more decorative touch pipe the pâté onto wreaths and then decorate.

 

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*Note that salmon doesn’t have to be all in one piece, You could also make a pâté to spread on the pumpernickel out of the salmon and cream cheese, to save time..  It doesn’t even have to be salmon you can alternate with a dill cream cheese spread or really anything else you can think of or any shape you want ie: round or bell shaped cookie cutters etc. and decorate as Christmas balls.  You can also add fresh chopped dill to the cream cheese to spread under the salmon or any other spice you think might compliment it.

Here are a few items to help make this recipe:
Wilton Holiday 18 pc Metal Cookie Cutter Set #2308-1132
Sterlingcraft Oblong Serving Tray

 

 

The Official Taste Tester
The Official Taste Tester

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although this was way before my time it certainly sounds like a very interesting dish, Anything “Scottish” has got to be good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .  

 Please help us keep our blog going by letting your friends know we’re here and by checking out the links on our front page.

  copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2014 all rights reserved