Beef Wellington with Madeira Sauce

By

From December 1999 Bon Appetit page 102.

Beef Wellington, a classic special-occasion entree, consists of beef tenderloin that has been spread with iver pate and wrapped in pastry. Cooking meat in pastry was popular at the end of the eighteenth centru, and continued to be favored in dining rooms for quite some time. This version is elegant, impressive and absolutely delicious. Perfect for the Christmas Table.

"Madeira, like Port, is a fortified wine. Its rich
and complex flavor adds depth to this sauce.”

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Ingredients

  • Chicken Liver Pâté
  • to if you want to go all out, substitute
  • purchased pâté de foie gras!]
  • 2 2 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
  • [If you can get chicken fat, render it
  • and use it instead of butter.]
  • 1 1 1 pound chicken livers, trimmed
  • 1 1 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 1 1 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 2 2 tablespoons brandy
  • Beef
  • 2 2 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 tenderloin (about 4 pounds), fat trimmed
  • 17.3-ounce 17.3-ounce package One 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry
  • (2 sheets), thawed
  • 1 1 to egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
  • Madeira Sauce
  • 2 about 2 cups
  • 2 2 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
  • 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup minced celery
  • 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup minced carrot
  • 2 2 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 2 2 cups canned beef broth
  • [or homemade beef stock]
  • 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
  • 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup Madeira
  • 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

Step 1

For Chicken Liver Pâté:

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over high
heat. Add chicken livers, onion and thyme and sauté until livers are
cooked through and all liquid evaporates, scraping bottom of skillet
often, about 8 minutes. Add brandy and simmer 1 minute, scraping
up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Puree mixture in food
processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cool. (Can be
prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For beef:

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add beef to
skillet and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer beef to
baking sheet and refrigerate until cool to touch, about 15 minutes.
Lightly flour another heavy large baking sheet. Roll out each pastry
sheet on floured surface to 13-inch square. Overlap pastry sheets by
1/2 inch on prepared baking sheet, pressing overlapping edges to seal.
Brush pastry with egg glaze. Spread half of liver pâté over bottom
and sides of beef.

Place beef, pâté side down, in center of pastry. Cover top and sides
of beef with remaining pâté. Lift up long sides of pastry in center and
overlap atop beef. Lightly brush edges with water and press together to
seal. Press pastry against beef at short ends to cover completely and
seal. Trim excess pastry from short ends. Crimp edges with fork to seal.
Gather scraps and reroll to 16-inch-long, 5-inch-wide rectangle (about
1/16 inch thick). Cut out three 16-inch-long, 1-inch-wide strips and one
2-inch-long, 1-inch-widr strip. Fold each 16-inch strip in half lengthwise, forming three 16-inch-long, 1/2-inch-wide strips. Press edges of each to seal. Brush lengthwise and crosswise seams of Beef Wellington lightly with water. Place 1 pastry strip lengthwise down the center of Beef Wellington, covering seam. Cut second pastry strip crosswise in half, forming two 8-inch strips. Place one 8-inch strip crosswise atop Beef Wellington, covering center seam. Form ring with third 16-inch pastry strip and press ends together. Press to seal at center, creating 2 bow loops. Place bow loops atop center of beef.
Cut remaining 8-inch pastry strips crosswise in half. Attach both pieces
at base of bow loops, forming ribbons. Fold 2-inch strip in half length-
wise. Press edges to seal. Cover center of bow loops and ribbons with
strip, forming knot. Brush entire Beef Wellington with egg glaze. (Can
be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Bake
until pastry is golden and thermometer inserted into thickest part of
meat registers 125 degrees F. for medium-rare, about 40 minutes.
Transfer baking sheet to rack. Using spatula, gently loosen bottom of
Beef Wellington from pan. Let stand in pan 10 minutes. Serve with
Madeira Sauce.

For Madeira Sauce:

Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion,
celery, and carrot; sauté until beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.
Add flour and stir until flour browns, about 8 minutes. Gradually whisk
in broth. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low; add
tomatoes and simmer until sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat; cool slightly.
Purée sauce in blender in batches [or in food processor].
Return to sauce-pan. Stir in Madeira and thyme. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until reduced to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat sauce before serving.)

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