Beef Wellington With Spinach Bacon Recipes

THE ULTIMATE BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• For the Duxelles:
• To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
• For the Beef:
• To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile set out your prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap (plastic needs to be about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap and tie the roast up in it) on top of your cutting board. Shingle the prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the entire filet of beef. Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight. Tuck in the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef. Roll it up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Remove beef from refrigerator and cut off plastic. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and fold over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Top with coarse sea salt. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.
• Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife ¿ this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting into thick slices. Garnish with minced chives, and serve with Green Peppercorn Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fresh Herbs and Garlic, and Warm Wilted Winter Greens.
• Add olive oil to pan after removing beef. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme; saute for 1 to 2 minutes, then, off heat, add brandy and flambe using a long kitchen match. After flame dies down, return to the heat, add stock and reduce by about half. Strain out solids, then add 2 cups cream and mustard. Reduce by half again, then shut off heat and add green peppercorns.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place a baking sheet inside to heat.
• Add potatoes, rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic to a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Remove sheet pan from oven, lightly coat with olive oil, and pour potatoes onto pan. Place potatoes in oven and reduce heat to 425 degrees F. Roast for 20 minutes, or until crispy on outside and tender on inside.
• Cook honey and balsamic together over medium-high heat in a large saute pan, about 5 minutes. Toast walnuts in a small skillet; set aside to cool.
• Pile greens on a platter. Stir mustard into balsamic-honey dressing, then whisk in about 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil; pour over greens. Season greens with salt and pepper and garnish with walnuts, pomegranate seeds, shavings of Parmesan, and shallot.

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.