Filet Mignon Puffs w\Mushroom Paté

By KeyIngredient

These elegant nibbles are like a soupçon of roast beef Wellington, the inspiration. All components can be made a day or two ahead.

Ingredients

• 8 oz (250 g) fresh button mushrooms
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 to 3 tsp (10 to 15 mL) chopped fresh thyme
• 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) salt
• 2 oz (60 g) cream cheese (1/4 of a 250-g pkg)
• 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) peanut oil
• 1 lb (500 g) filet mignon
• Pinches of Maldon or other coarse salt
• and freshly ground pepper
• Scant 8 oz (250 g) butter puff pastry
• (1/2 of a 450-g pkg)
• 1 roasted sweet red pepper, peeled and seeded
• Several large sprigs Italian parsley

Preparation

Step 1

1. Whirl mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped into a mince. Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms all at once. Cook, turning frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes or until the mixture is somewhat dry and crumbly. Stir in lemon juice, thyme and salt; mix in cream cheese. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

2. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).

3. Coat a small to medium heavy skillet with high-heat cooking spray; add oil. Heat over medium-high until very hot.

4. Pat beef dry with paper towel. Sear beef on all sides or until browned; this takes only 3 to 4 minutes in total. Leave beef in skillet; season all sides with coarse salt and generous grindings of black pepper. Leaving in pan, roast in oven for 15 minutes. Then remove from oven; tent beef with foil for 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate; cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

5. Reduce oven to 375°F (190°C).

6. Unroll puff pastry. Using a 2½-inch (6-cm) round cookie cutter, cut out 16 rounds. Place on parchment provided in package; slide onto baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden. Cool on parchment on a rack.

7. Turn off oven. When cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to split each pastry horizontally, forming 2 rounds. Return rough-sideup to parchment on baking sheet. Place in now-cooling oven for 8 minutes or until crisp. Cool, cover and store airtight.

8. To serve nibbles, thinly slice cold beef a scant ¼ inch (5 mm) thick. Slice red pepper narrowly into strips (dice, if desired). Thinly spread pastry round with mushroom pâté. Top with beef, folding to fi t as needed. To each, decoratively add a strip of red pepper, a parsley leaf and a few grains of Maldon salt.


Makes 24 to 32 nibbles

Wine: Pinot noir