What saids elegance more than serving Beef Wellington at a dinner party! This is a classic Beef Wellington recipe and served along side a twice-baked potatoes and roasted asparagus will make even the most discreminating guest rave!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 pound beef tenderloin
  • 1 pound mushrooms, mixture of cremini, shiitake, oysters and button
  • 2 shallots, peeled
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 frozen and thawed puff pastry sheet
  • 6 slices of ham DI Parma or Proscuitto
  • 2 egg yolks whisked with 1 tablespoon milk for egg wash
  • salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic to a food processor and pulse on high until the ingredients are about the size of rice. Set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large sauté pan over low heat and add in the mushroom mixture. Stir frequently and do not burn.

Cook for 20 minutes or until the moisture in the mushrooms has evaporated or reduced. Deglaze with wine and cook for 5-7 minutes to also evaporate and reduce the wine liquid.

Fold in parsley, thyme, salt and pepper until combined and then set aside on a plate to cool slightly.

In the meantime, generously season the beef tenderloin on all sides with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides in the pan with olive oil, about 90 seconds per side.

Remove from the pan and generously brush it with the mustard on all sides and let it rest on a plate.

Next, on a clean surface lightly dusted with flour, add the puff pastry sheet and roll it out until it’s about 16 “-18” long by 12” wide.

Overlap 6 slices of ham DI Parma right in the center of the puff pastry and then spread the mushroom mixture over top of the ham and spread around to completely cover it.

Put the tenderloin towards the bottom part of the ham and mushroom mixture and roll it forward completely encrusting the tenderloin

Pick up the beef tenderloin and place it back toward the bottom part of the puff pastry and then roll it forward to wrap it up.

Pinch the seams together and cut off the excess puff pastry from the sides and pinch the seams together or twist it together to make sure it is airtight.

Place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Next, brush the puff pastry outside on all sides with the egg yolk and milk egg wash.

Score with the back side of a knife to make a design and bake at 425 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until a thermometer reads at 125 to 130 degrees internally of the beef (for medium rare). (Make sure you use a meat thermometer and check for 125 to 130 degrees, if the crust is getting too brown and you need to cook a bit more, put a loose tent of foil over the top)

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving*.

Serves 6

*You can make this recipe up to 1 day in advance of serving it. After you roll up the tenderloin in the puff pastry, simply place it in the refrigerator overnight until ready to bake the next day, let sit outside the refrigerator for an hour before baking. To reheat, place in a pan with a lid and bake at 325 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunches asparagus spears, trimmed
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees.

Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.

Twice Baked Potato

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6  russet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk (or milk)
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 tablespoon sliced chives (or green onions)
  • 6 pieces of bacon cooked crisp and chopped or 3 tablespoons bacon bits
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese , divided
  • salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash potatoes and dry them. Rub olive oil all over the potatoes, add a little salt. Poke with a fork. Bake potatoes in oven 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly.

Slice each potato in 1/2 lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp of the potato leaving 1/8” shell.

In a bowl, mash potatoes, sour cream, butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper until smooth. Add butter milk as needed to create a creamy texture. Stir in chives, bacon and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese.

Fill each skin with the mashed potato filling and top with remaining cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes more or until heated through and cheese is melted. Serves 6