Italian-style beef wellington
“A showstopping Christmas table centrepiece, this dish can be prepped the day before – take it out of the fridge 45 minutes prior to baking so that the cooking time is correct.”- Abigail Donnelly
Ingredients
Method- 1.5 kg beef fillet
- 12 capers, finely chopped
- 12 pitted green olives, finely chopped
- 12 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 50 g pine nuts
- 12 slices Parma ham
- 3 T Woolworths Wagyu beef fat
- 400 g frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 free-range egg, beaten For the aïoli:
- 1 bulb garlic, roasted
- 2 free-range eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sunflower oil
- 4 T Woolworths truffle-flavoured olive oil
- ½ lemon, juiced
- sea salt, to taste
Method
Ingredients1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Trim the narrow end of the fillet so that you have an evenly thick piece.
3. In a small bowl, combine the capers, olives, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts. Make an incision down the length of the fillet and stuff the filling into the incision. Wrap the fillet in the Parma ham.
4. Place an ovenproof pan or cast-iron pan over high heat. Heat the Wagyu fat, then sear the wrapped fillet all over. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes while you roll out the puff pastry. Make sure it’s big enough to fully cover the meat.
5. Carefully wrap the fillet in the pastry, trim off any excess and use the offcuts to decorate the Wellington. Brush with the egg, place on a baking tray and bake for 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes while you make the aïoli.
6. Squeeze the roasted garlic into a mixing bowl and discard the skins. Add the eggs and beat while slowly drizzling in the sunflower and truffle oil. Season with lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve the aïoli with the sliced beef wellington.
Cook's note: Use the beef offcuts to make a stir-fry another day.
Photographs: Jan Ras
Production: Abigail Donnelly
Food Assistant: Lerato Motau
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