Simple Beef Wellington
Recipe and photo by Amanda Hutchinson
I was commissioned by one of my roommates to make Beef Wellington for Valentine’s Day. The only issue is that filet mignon is a little pricey and this roommate is very particular when it comes to what she considers “weird” things, which puts the standard addition of pâté or foie gras off the menu, so I created a simple version for the college budget and palate.
Serves 2
5-6 baby portabella mushrooms, quartered 1 small shallot, sliced Canola oil Salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste 2 4-ounce pieces of filet mignon – mine came from The Piggery 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed and sliced in half 2 handfuls of baby carrots or the equivalent of full carrots cut into 2-inch lengthsPreheat the oven to 400º.
Prepare the mushroom topping by pulsing the mushrooms, shallots and a small splash of canola oil in a food processor to your desired consistency. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the mushroom mixture, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally to cook throughout. Remove from the skillet, leaving a small amount of the resulting liquid from the mushrooms in the pan and draining the rest.
Season both sides of the filet slices with salt and pepper and sear in the mushroom skillet until lightly browned, then remove from the pan to cool slightly. Place each filet in the center of a piece of puff pastry, spoon a quarter of the mushroom mixture onto each filet, and pinch the seams of the dough to form a continuous dough layer. Cut off any extra dough as necessary–these can be rolled up and cooked alongside the Wellingtons as bonus croissants.
Toss carrots in a splash of canola oil with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Assemble on a cookie sheet, either alongside the Wellingtons or on a separate sheet, then place both carrots and Wellingtons in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are al dente and the meat is cooked to your liking.
Serve with your choice of side and croissants made from the leftover dough.
Amanda Hutchinson is a senior journalism major at Ithaca College who enjoys making real food on a college budget. Check out her other work at amandalhutchinson.wordpress.com.
For more of Amanda’s recipes, take a look at her cookies.
