Ingredients

  • 900 grams beef tenderloin thick end
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 110 grams mushrooms, white finely chop
  • 30 grams butter, unsalted
  • 1 tablespoon cognac
  • 110 grams chicken liver pate
  • 225 grams puff pastry store bought
  • 1 egg beaten
  • Puff Pastry
  • 225 grams plain flour
  • pinch salt
  • 30 grams lard
  • 100 milliliters ice water
  • 200 grams butter in one block

Directions

1. If you want to serve more than 5 people, make a second en croûte. Store bought puff pastry works best because homemade puff gets too soft. Unless you make ahead so everything is well chilled.
2. Preheat oven to 230*C/450*F/GM 8.
3. Skin and trim fillet and season well with pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Heat oil in roasting pan and when hot add meat and brown on all sides. Roast in oven for 20 minutes until 120*F. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Chill in refrigerator until cold.
4. Take one-third of the pastry and roll it so it is little more than the length and breadth of the fillet. Place it on a damp baking sheet, prick all over with a fork and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden-brown. Do not bake faster, else all the layers do not get done.
5. Fry mushrooms in butter quickly until softened. Add cognac. Chill until cold. Mix with the pâté and spread the COLD mixture over the cooked pastry base. Place the COLD fillet on top and, with a sharp knife, cut away any cooked pastry that is not covered by the fillet.
6. Roll out the remaining pastry into a large enough blanket to cover the fillet easily. Lift up the sheet and lay it gently over the fillet. With a sharp knife, cut off the corners of the sheet and reserve these trimmings.
7. Lift one length of the blanket and brush the underside with beaten egg. With a palette knife, lift the base and tuck the blanket neatly underneath it. Repeat with the other 3 sides.
8. Shape the pastry trimmings into leaves and petals. Slightly twist the petals. Brush pastry covered fillet with beaten egg. Decorate with pastry leaves/petals and brush again with beaten egg.
9. Can be prepared ahead to this point. Place on baking sheet, loosely covered in refrigerator.
10. Preheat oven to 230*C/450*F/GM 8.
11. Bake fillet in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until pastry is very dark brown and shiny. Assumes rare beef is desired. For medium beef, cook for a further 10 minutes.
12. Serve hot or cold. If served hot, the fillet should be carved at the table or the juices will be lost and the meat may have a grey, unappetizing look.

Notes
Serving Ideas:Original serves 5.


Categories
Beef, main course
Keywords
Beef, main course
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