Beef Wellington

Food historians generally agree that beef Wellington is named for Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington, and the man who crushed Napoleon at Waterloo.

That's about all they agree on.

This dish might seem a little intimidating at first. The 3 pounds of beef tenderloin, because of the expense, certainly intimidated me.

I admit it. I practiced first with a small eye of round roast. You can buy frozen puff pastry sheets in most groceries.

There are currently many versions of the recipe and this is just one.

3 lb beef tenderloin
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt

1/2 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 Tbsp snipped parsley
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp pepper
Frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg
1 Tbsp water

2 cups beef bouillon
1/2 cup dry sherry
3 Tbsp carrot, finely chopped
2 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp crushed thyme leaves

Combine the ingredients for the brown sauce and simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain the sauce mixture through a fine sieve and discard the vegetables. Stir in 3 tablespoons dry sherry and simmer 5 minutes longer. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter, a little at a time.

Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Tie a heavy string at several points around the tenderloin. Place the tenderloin on a rack in a shallow pan. Spread the butter over the top and sides of the tenderloin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for 23 minutes and remove to a cooling rack. Put the loin in the refrigerator to cool. After cooling remove the string and pat the tenderloin dry.

Stack the puff pastry sheets to form a 12 x 11-inch rectangle approximately 1/2-inch thick. Spread the mushroom filling on the pastry to within 1 1/2-inches of the edge. Place the meat, topside down, in the center of the pastry. Roll tenderloin and pastry.

Seal the seam and the ends, securely moistening with water, if necessary. Make an egg wash with the egg and water. Brush over the top and sides of the pastry.

Reduce oven to 400 degrees. Place pastry wrapped tenderloin, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

Serve Brown Sauce over the tenderloin.