Beef Wellington With Mushroom And Boursin Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Working in two batches, pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped, 10 to 15 pulses. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and thyme and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook, stirring often toward the end, until dry and starting to form small crumbles, 25 to 28 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and add the cognac. Carefully return the skillet to the heat (the cognac may ignite) and continue cooking until the mushroom mixture is dry and the alcohol cooks off, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and season with kosher salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, season the beef all over with kosher salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a separate large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, turning, until browned on all sides (including the ends), about 8 minutes. Transfer the beef to a rack and let cool.
• Overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a work surface to make a large rectangle (about 22 by 30 inches) with a short side in front of you. Arrange the prosciutto slices crosswise on the plastic wrap in overlapping rows to form a rectangle slightly longer than the beef and wide enough to completely wrap it with a slight overlap. (You might not use all of the prosciutto.) Spread the mushroom mixture over the prosciutto, pressing gently. Cut the ties off the beef and brush it all over with the mustard. Place the beef on top of the prosciutto-mushroom mixture, perpendicular to the prosciutto slices. Tightly roll the prosciutto-mushroom mixture around the beef, using the plastic wrap to help you roll. Twist and tie the ends of the plastic wrap to help the roast hold an even shape. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Roll the puff pastry into a 14-by-15-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface; if using 2 smaller sheets of pastry, press the ends together before rolling out, then trim as needed. Brush the pastry all over with the beaten egg. Remove the plastic wrap from the beef and place the beef on the pastry. Carefully roll the pastry around the beef, overlapping the ends at the seam; trim off any excess pastry, if needed, then pinch the seams together. Turn seam-side down. Fold in the pastry on the two open ends, trimming off any excess. Refrigerate until the pastry is cold and firm, about 1 hour.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place the beef seam-side down on the baking sheet and brush all over with the beaten egg. Score lines in the pastry with the dull side of a paring knife (don't cut through the pastry) and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the pastry is crisp and dark golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the center of the beef registers 110˚ F for rare to 120˚ F for medium rare, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a rack set on a baking sheet and let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with more flaky salt and chives.

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.

Steps:

• Roll out the puff pastry on a well-floured work surface until about 14-inches square and 1/8-inch thick. Trim the edges, if necessary, and cut the puff pastry into 4 squares. You may need to roll the puff pastry larger or smaller depending on the size of the meat. Put them in a single layer onto one or two baking sheets and into the refrigerator to firm up.
• Rinse the dried mushrooms in cold water, put them into a small bowl and cover them with hot water. Let soak for 20 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot, season the meat with salt and pepper and sear on each side for 1 minute per side. Set aside.
• Turn the heat down to medium, add the shallots to the pan and cook until they are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the butter and fresh mushrooms and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the dried mushrooms and chop them finely. Add them to the pan along with the sherry, if using. Turn the heat up a bit and cook until the mushrooms are almost dry, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 more minute, take the pan off the heat and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Put a large tablespoon of the mushroom mixture in the center of a pastry square and spread it out to the same size as the meat. Place a piece of tenderloin on top and brush some egg wash around the edges of the pastry. Fold up the corners and sides of the pastry so they meet and overlap slightly in the middle. Turn it over so the seams are down and shape it into a neat package with your hands. Repeat with the other three squares. If the pastry has gotten soft, put the packages back in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up. This will make sure the pastry does not just melt into a gooey mess in the oven before it has a chance to puff up. Save the remaining mushroom mixture for the sauce.
• When you are ready to bake, cut a design into the top of each package with a paring knife. Brush them all over with egg wash. Bake for 14 minutes for medium rare or adjust the time shorter or longer according to how you like your meat cooked.
• While the Wellingtons are baking, reheat the mushroom mixture. Add the cream and cook on high for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
• When the Wellingtons are ready, remove them from the oven and serve with the sauce and a big glass of hearty red wine.

Steps:

• Wipe the portobello mushrooms clean using barely moistened paper towels. Remove the stems, then slice off the excess mushroom rim that curls over the gills. (You are making sure the stem side has a flat surface so it will sear properly.) Reserve the stems and scraps for use in Step 2. Brush the portobello mushroom caps on both sides with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high and cook the mushrooms, gill-side down, until caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and cook until softened, about 4 more minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, gill-side down, to cool.
• Prepare the mushroom filling: Separate and reserve any mushroom stems. Roughly chop about two-thirds of the mixed mushrooms, then working in batches, transfer the roughly chopped mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until chopped into small pieces. (They should range from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in size.) Transfer the chopped mushrooms to a large bowl. By hand, finely chop the remaining mixed mushrooms and stems and the reserved portobello mushroom stems and trimmings into 1/4-inch pieces; add them to the large bowl. (Chopping most of the mixed mushrooms in the food processor will save you some time, but you'll want to chop some by hand for texture.)
• Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. (You'll use this to quickly cool the cooked mushrooms in Step 4. If preparing in advance, you can simply let the mixture cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.) Wipe out the skillet. Working in two batches, warm 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add about half the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and rosemary, and season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. (You'll add soy sauce later, so avoid overseasoning at this stage.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and repeat with the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the remaining mushrooms, shallots, garlic and rosemary.
• Once the second batch of chopped mushrooms is cooked and caramelized, return the first batch to the skillet. Add the port, soy sauce and thyme leaves and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, 3 to 5 minutes. (If using balsamic vinegar instead of port, reduce the cook time to 1 to 2 minutes.) Transfer the mushroom mixture back to the medium bowl and stir in the walnuts. Set the bowl over the prepared ice bath to cool, stirring occasionally, at least 20 minutes.
• Prepare the cider-caramelized onions: Wipe out the skillet, then melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cider and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the liquid evaporates and the onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, if using, then transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a large piece of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly dust it with flour. Unfold your thawed puff pastry and set it on the parchment. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the pastry out into a 13-by-16-inch rectangle. Transfer the parchment paper and puff pastry to a large sheet pan. Rotate the sheet pan, if needed, so that one of the 16-inch sides is closest to you. Arrange half the cooked mushroom mixture in a strip in the center of the puff pastry (it should be about 4-by-10 inches), leaving a 1½-inch border at the ends. Arrange the caramelized onions in a single, 3-inch-wide strip on top of the mushroom mixture, leaving about ½ inch of the mushrooms exposed on both sides. Lay the portobello mushrooms on top of the onions in a single line, stem-side down. (If the portobellos are too large to all fit in a row, square off edges so the cut sides lay snugly without overlapping.) Spoon the remaining mushroom mixture on top of the filling, covering the portobello mushrooms, then gently pack the mushroom mixture to form an even layer on top. (You can shape this the same way you might shape a freeform meatloaf.)
• To assemble, lift one side of the puff pastry over the mushroom filling to almost completely cover it. Brush the surface of the puff pastry covering the mushrooms with the beaten egg. Lift the remaining puff pastry flap over the egg-washed puff pastry, gently stretching it if need be to create a second layer of puff pastry on top, then gently press the top layer of pastry onto the lower layer using your fingertips to seal. Brush the insides of the short ends of the puff pastry and press to seal. Trim any parchment paper that extends beyond the sheet pan.
• Brush the exposed puff pastry on top with the remaining beaten egg. Decorate the top of the puff pastry as you like: Create a cross-hatch pattern by gently slicing through only the top layer of puff pastry in parallel lines, then cutting parallel lines in another direction. (Apply very little pressure, as you only want to cut through the top layer of puff pastry, not the second layer.) You can also slice small decorative vents in the puff pastry (be sure to slice all the way through both layers of puff pastry), or top with additional strips or shapes made from egg-washed puff pastry.
• Transfer to the middle rack in the oven and bake until puff pastry is deep golden and flaky, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, about 10 minutes.
• While the Wellington bakes, prepare the optional port reduction: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium. Add the shallot, garlic and peppercorns, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the port, stock and thyme, and cook over medium-high until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 25 to 30 minutes. Strain the sauce, discarding the solids. (You should have about 1/2 cup sauce.) Cover and set aside until ready to serve. When ready to serve, warm the sauce over medium. Once warmed, whisk in the butter, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
• To serve the mushroom Wellington, cut it crosswise into 8 even slabs. (Each slab will include a pretty cross-section showcasing the halved portobello mushroom in the center; this is considered the presentation side.) Serve each piece presentation-side up. Pass with port reduction for drizzling on top.

Steps:

• Using kitchen twine, tie the tenderloin into a 12-inch log, folding the thinner end onto itself. (Use your hands to squeeze the meat into a log. You can be aggressive here.)
• Place pancetta in a cold 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pancetta starts to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add butter, raise heat to high, and stir in mushrooms and shallot. Cook until the liquid released by the mushrooms has cooked off, 4 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until mushrooms are browned, stirring frequently, another 18 to 23 minutes. (Take your time here, you want a deep golden color for the best flavor.) Scrape bottom of the skillet as necessary to prevent burning.
• If the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little olive oil, then stir in garlic and thyme leaves. Cook until fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in sherry, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Scrape mixture into a medium bowl to cool. (Do not add salt at this point.)
• In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Season beef generously with salt and pepper, then sear on all sides until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cool slightly. Remove any twine. Brush meat all over with mustard.
• On a clean work surface, overlap long sheets of plastic wrap (about 15-by-15 inches). Place prosciutto slices on top to make about a 14-by-7-inch rectangle, arranging them in an even layer and overlapping the pieces slightly. Spread cooled mushroom mixture on top.
• Place beef along one long end of the prosciutto slices, and roll prosciutto tightly around beef. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, twisting both ends like a candy wrapper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 teaspoon water. Lay puff pastry out on the prepared baking sheet, lightly draping over edges. (The pastry needs to be at least 14-inches long and 13-inches wide to cover the beef; if not, roll it out as needed.)
• Carefully unwrap and place chilled log along the edge of one long side of puff pastry. Roll beef up tightly, then place it seam-side down on the baking sheet. Tuck puff pastry over the ends of the beef to cover them, pinching to seal and folding underneath. Brush top and sides of pastry with egg wash, and use a small sharp knife to cut a few slits into the top of the pastry.
• Bake until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 115 degrees for rare, 25 to 35 minutes. (This timing will yield rare pieces at the thicker end and medium done pieces at the thinner end of the loin.) Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve while warm.