Father's Day Feast (Beef Wellington Recipe)

 I wasn't entirely sure that my Dad would be around for Father's Day this year, so when I found out he was I decided to go all out and throw a mini-dinner party. It's been a while since I cooked for the whole family and even longer since I made beef wellington, one of my favourite meals.

As it always goes down so well  I thought I'd share the recipe with you. (Serves 6 - 8 people)


You Will Need

700g Beef Fillet
10 Slices Proscuitto
2 Handfuls of Spinach
500g Mushrooms
English Mustard
Dijon Mustard
1 Egg
Ready Rolled Puff Pastry (You can make your own if you like, I was running short on time!)
Clingfilm

Step One

Using some tongs place your beef fillet into a hot frying pan with a little oil, turning every now and then until the meat is  completely brown. Whilst doing this you should also mix together 1 tbsp of the English mustard with 1 tbsp of the Dijon mustard in a little bowl. Once the meat is seared place it on a plate and generously brush the mixed mustard over it. 

Step Two

 If you're lucky enough to have a food processor then give the mushrooms a quick blitz. Unfortunately I don't have one so I just used a sharp knife to chop them into tiny pieces. Add them to the frying pan the meat was just in. Once the mushrooms have started to turn a golden brown add two handfuls of spinach and season, stirring until wilted. Lay the proscuitto slices next to each other on a sheet of clingfilm, making sure that they overlap slightly before spreading the mushroom and spinach mix on top.

Step Three

Place the beef fillet on top of the mix. Using the clingfilm tightly wrap the beef up and pop into the fridge for about half an hour. This allows all the flavours to mingle and sink in.

Step Four

If you're making your own puff pastry you can use this time to do so. Otherwise unwrap the ready rolled and use a rolling pin to stretch out the edges slightly. I placed mine on clingfilm again as I find it easier to fold this way. Separate the egg, keeping both the whites and the yolk in another bowl. Brush the pastry with the egg whites before laying your beef fillet in the middle. Fold the pastry over and brush again, this time using the egg yolk. Place onto a pan (with a layer of baking paper) and pop into a 200 degree oven for 40 -50 minutes.

Step Five

Take out of the oven and enjoy! I served mine with some crispy roast potatoes and some steamed greens covered in a drizzle of honey-mustard vinaigrette. I also made up some gravy and a red wine jus to pour over the meat.

If you're curious about what else I cooked up for Father's Day I served a scallop, apple and hazelnut salad as a starter and eton mess for dessert. Let me know if you're interested in the recipes as they may appear in a future post!