Classic beef wellington recipe

Liz kept it classy with her mother's tried and tested recipe on Come Dine With Me North Cornwall

Serves 4

Ingredients

Butter, for frying
Sunflower oil, for frying
900g beef fillet (cut from the centre of the fillet to ensure an even size all the way along)
2 shallots, finely chopped
225g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
4 tbsp Madeira or Marsala wine (or red wine or sherry, if not available)
1 tsp redcurrant jelly
8 slices Parma ham or prosciutto
110g fois gras or smooth pâté
400g all butter puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to about 230°C/gas mark 8. Melt a knob of butter in a roasting pan with a little sunflower oil and heat on the hob until smoking. Quickly sear the fillet of beef until it is seared all over (coloured so that no pink is showing).
Immediately put the beef into the oven and cook for 8-9 minutes per pound for rare meat. Adjust according to how you like it but should be no more than 10 minutes per pound to ensure it stays pink. Take the meat out of the oven and put allow to cool.
Heat some more butter and oil and gently sweat the shallots and mushrooms until soft. When starting to brown add salt and pepper to taste and the Madeira or Marsala. Add the redcurrant jelly and seasoning to taste. Cook for 10 minutes until all the liquid has gone and the mixture is a soggy paste. Taste it! Don’t be afraid to add more Madeira and reduce again until it tastes good. Set aside to cool.
When the beef and the mushroom mixture is cold take a large sheet of cling film and put down on a flat work surface. Lay the ham in strips (lengthways facing you) onto the film. Spread the pâté over one length of the fillet (this will be the bottom) and then press ¾ of the mushroom mix into the pâté .
Lay the fillet with the mixture still on top onto the ham and carefully wrap the ham over the fillet, using the cling film to help tightly seal. Put the whole thing on a plate in the cling film in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight, taking it out an hour before you are ready to eat.
Roll out the puff pastry to pound coin thickness. Carefully remove the cling film before laying the fillet mixture-side down onto the pastry. Cover the pastry with the two shorter ends first then fold over the long sides like you are wrapping a parcel.
Place the wellington seam-side down on a baking tray and brush all over with the beaten egg before putting in the oven for 25 minutes (or until golden brown).
Leave the wellington to settle for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Meanwhile make a jus from the remaining mushrooms by adding more Madeira and reducing in a saucepan.

Please note this recipe is the contestant's own and has not been tested professionally. Like the Come Dine With Me contestants, you could be creating a culinary delight or dining disaster, so switch on your ovens and be bold.