Beef Wellington With Spinach Bacon Recipes

BEEF WELLINGTON WITH SPINACH & BACON

Steps:

• Pat the beef fillet with kitchen paper to remove any blood, then season. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan until very hot, then sear and turn the fillet with tongs for 8-10 mins until it's well browned on all sides - hold it up to sear both ends, too. Set the beef aside on a tray to catch any juices. Take the pan off the heat, but don't clean it.
• Tip the spinach into a colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it, then pour over cold water to cool it down. Squeeze the spinach as hard as you can to extract as much liquid as possible, then set aside. Lay a large sheet of cling film on your work surface. Overlap the pancetta or bacon on it in a row, then cover with another sheet of cling film. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to a thin layer. Remove the top sheet of cling film and scatter the spinach over the pancetta. Replace the cling film and roll again. Carefully peel away the top layer of cling film again, and sit the beef on top. Using the edge of the cling film, lift and roll the pancetta and spinach to encase the beef and roll everything into a tight sausage. For best results, place in the freezer for 30 mins to firm up - do not leave for longer or cooking times will be affected.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry to a rectangle a little larger than your Good Food magazine. Trim the edges to neaten, then lightly brush the pastry with egg yolk. Carefully unwrap the beef parcel and lay in the middle of the pastry. Fold the shorter edges over the beef, then roll the whole thing around the fillet to encase. For a really neat finish, get another clean sheet of cling film and roll the wellington into a tight sausage again. Chill for at least 30 mins, or up to one day.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and put a lightly oiled baking tray in it. Unwrap the wellington, brush with egg yolk, then use the back of a knife to score a neat criss-cross or checkerboard pattern all over it. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and transfer, sealed-side down, to the hot baking tray. Roast for 10 mins, then reduce the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and continue to cook for 25 mins for rare meat, 30 mins for medium rare, 35 mins for medium, and about 45 mins for well done, making sure the pastry doesn't burn (cover it with foil if it starts to darken). Remove from the oven and immediately brush with more egg yolk. Leave to rest for 10 mins.
• To make the gravy, heat the butter in the beef pan. Fry the shallot, thyme and bay leaf, scraping the crispy bits off the pan with a wooden spoon. Scatter over the flour and brown, then add the red wine and boil to a purple paste. Add the beef stock cube and any juice from the resting beef, and simmer for 5 mins. Pass through a sieve into a pan and season to taste. Use a sharp knife to carve the wellington into six thick slices and serve with the gravy on the side.

SPINACH ARTICHOKE BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Season the beef all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous grinding of black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Sear the beef on all sides until well browned, about 5 minutes total. Let cool, then refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Place the spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as possible. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach, artichokes, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach and artichokes are dry and no liquid remains in the skillet, about 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and let cool to room temperature.
• Add the garlic-and-herb cheese spread and Parmesan to the cooled spinach mixture and process to a paste. Refrigerate the filling until you are ready to assemble the beef.
• To assemble: Remove the beef from the refrigerator and brush all over with the Dijon mustard. Beat the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out 1 sheet of pastry to a 14-by-14-inch square. Transfer the pastry to a sheet of parchment paper or foil. Brush the pastry with egg wash, leaving a bare 1-inch border on all sides. Place the ham in a single layer over the egg wash. Spread the spinach-artichoke filling over the ham. Place the beef at the bottom of the pastry and roll it up with the parchment or foil, using the pastry to surround the beef with the spinach and ham. Peel the pastry layer back down onto the counter, leaving the ham-encased beef now at the top. Roll the beef back towards yourself, this time enclosing it in the pastry. Press the seam to seal and fold up the sides like a present. (Use egg wash if necessary.) Set the beef Wellington seam-side down on a rimmed baking sheet and brush all over with egg wash.
• Roll the second piece of pastry into a 12-by-12-inch square. Cut the pastry into ten 3/4-inch-wide strips with a fluted wheel cutter. (There will be some leftover pastry.) Lay 5 strips diagonally on top of the roll, pressing at the bottom to adhere. Lay the 5 remaining strips over top those to form a cross hatch pattern and press to adhere. Trim away or tuck in any excess pastry at the bottom. Brush all over with egg wash, and sprinkle the roll all over with flaky sea salt, if desired. Refrigerate until the pastry is very cold and firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake until pastry is crisp and golden and the center of the meat registers 120 to 125 degrees on a digital thermometer for medium-rare, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes. Use a serrated knife to cut into slices and serve immediately.