Beef Wellington (England)

      When I hear the name Wellington my first thought is of the first Duke of Wellington Sir Arthur Wellesley.  This was probably what the French chef who invented Beef Wellington thought as well, because, the truth is that Beef Wellington is not named for the legendary hero of the Battle of Waterloo.  In other words, the stories that the dish was given his name due to his love for it or that the name originated from a resemblance to the heroes boots is just a series of falsehoods. 
      The funny thing about all of this, they thought that the name would convince people it was English instead of changing the recipe.  One of the original written versions of the recipe called for wild mushrooms, foie gras, truffles and a crepe.  Who were they trying to fool, a 10 year old?
       The first step to a good Beef Wellington is the use of a great cut of meat.  This does mean spending money for a good beef tenderloin.  Luckily this is all that you need to spend a lot of money on as there are many more recession friendly substitutions.  First, don't use shaved black truffles.  Truffles are probably more expensive than caviar, so it's best to just axe them from the menu. Next remove the Foie Gras.  Foie Gras, a very nutty duck liver pate, has a very high price tag and usually must be ordered through a mail service.  In place of the Foie Gras use a lower quality duck pate as you can flavor it with some Madeira wine to give it a high quality flavor.  Finally, nix the crepe, as it is better to let the pastry absorb the juices from the tenderloin.
 

Beef Wellington

1 beef tenderloin ( 3 pounds)

3 cups baby bella mushrooms, washed and sliced

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup Madeira

3/4 cup duck liver pate

1 package (13 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

2 teaspoons water

Place a grill grate onto the stove and heat and coat with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  Season the beef tenderloin with salt and pepper and place on the grill grate to sear.  Cook the tenderloin about 5 minutes per side, just until the meat is browned on each side. 

Place the meat in a roasting pan and set in a 425* oven for about 10 minutes.  Remove the beef from the oven and allow it to cool.  Meanwhile in a saute pan melt the butter, add the mushrooms and saute until they are brown and tender.  Lower the heat and mix in the Madeira until it has reduced by half.  In a large bowl combine the mushroom mixture and the pate.  Fold the basil into the pate. 

Roll out the puff pastry to 1/4 inch thickness.  Place the tenderloin onto the puff pastry, coat the top of the tenderloin with the pate mixture and roll the tenderloin up in the pastry.  In a small bowl combine the egg and water, brush the edges of the pastry and fold the edges underneath the meat.  Place the Wellington seamed sided down on a baking sheet.  Brush the top of the Wellington with the remaining egg wash and place back in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes.  After the first 25 minutes cover the Wellington with foil.  When an instant read meat thermometer reads 125*, remove the Wellington from the oven and allow it to rest covered for 10 minutes before carving. 

Serves 8