Gugel Family Cookbook

Beef Wellington

(from Applehood & Motherpie: handpicked recipes from Upstate New York)

Pastry:

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
4 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup ice water

Cut shortening and butter into flour and salt. Combine egg and water and mix with flour to form a ball. Cover and refrigerate.

Duxelles:

3 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
2 Tbs. flour
2 to 3 Tbs. ham (prosciutto), finely chopped
3 Tbs. port or Madeira wine
3 to 4 Tbs. cream
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp. dried tarragon
dash of nutmeg
2 Tbs. butter, softened

Place mushrooms in a towel and squeeze until almost dry. Saute shallots in butter until golden. Stir in mushrooms and flour. Cook 2 minutes. Stir ham, wine, cream, and spices into the mixture. Cook over low heat 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Add softened butter. You can refrigerate it, but it must be at room temperature for the final preparation.

Final assembly:

1 beef tenderloin
cognac
salt and pepper
6 slices bacon
1 egg, slightly beaten

Rub tenderloin with cognac and season with salt and pepper. Wrap with bacon and place in a roasting pan. Roast uncovered at 425°F for 20 minutes. Discard bacon and cool to room temperature.

Roll pastry dough to a rectangle 10" wide and 4" longer than the tenderloin. Pat duxelles on the top and bottom of meat. Place meat on the rolled out pastry. Wrap the pastry around the meat, sealing the seam with the beaten egg. Trim the dough at the ends and wrap the ends with an envelope-type seal. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Make 3 slits on the top of the pastry. Brush with beaten egg. (This can be wrapped and refrigerated if you are not baking it immediately.)

One hour before serving:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake tenderloin for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and meat is rare (about 140-150°F on a meat thermometer). Let sit 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

“I make it when I want to impress and I have the time” – Helen Gugel