It's not that difficult - really!

I came across a recipe recently for a deconstructed beef wellington.  To my mind a beef wellington is a juicy piece of beef, smothered in pate or mustard then rolled up in pastry and baked in the oven.  This recipe is not that, it's much easier.  The problem with cooking a traditional beef wellington is knowing how to sear and then bake/roast the beef fillet, so that your pastry doesn't go soggy and interesting shade of pink when you cut it to serve?  I'm sure we've all had the experience of searing a beautiful piece of rib fillet, pork fillet or lamb rack before putting it in the oven to finish off, and it not being quite as cooked as we think it is.  Knowing when to stop searing is the key! 

I've learnt, from my Mum, how to cook a roast on the stove top.  Mum's process involves searing your piece of beef at a relatively high heat for 10 minutes on each side (check where your smoke alarm is before you start this!), then turning the heat down, creating a water seal with the lid on the pot and leaving for the required time according to the weight of the meat.  The result is a tender, moist and juicy roast. The burnt bits soften to make an amazing gravy. And you don't have to clean the oven afterwards!  Cooking roasts this way has set me up well to not be afraid to seal a fillet of beef or pork or lamb for say a minute longer than others might.  Yes, sometimes there's burnt bits, but I'm ok with that and you should be too. Make sure you let it rest too and cover it to keep it warm.

This beef wellington recipe is a bit different, in that there's no pate or mustard, instead a creamy mushroom, thyme and blue cheese sauce.  It's a luxurious sauce which matches well with the open tart, beef and green beans.  Despite the number of steps below, it's fairly straightforward - cook the pastry, make the sauce, cook the beef and let rest, assemble and serve.  You don't have to use exact measurements in the sauce, just go with what tastes best!

Deconstructed Beef Wellington with creamy mushroom, thyme and blue cheese sauce


1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 Eye fillet/porterhouse steaks
Salt and pepper
Green beans
200 - 250 g (2 - 3 large handfuls) spinach or baby spinach
Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion or 2 golden shallot, diced
250g - 500g mixed mushrooms, sliced (peeled too if you like)
2 - 3 cloves of garlic, crushed.
fresh thyme leaves
a splash (maybe 1/4 cup) hot water or white wine (you could use vegetable stock, but the sauce will be salty enough from the cheese)
150 - 150mL cream (may be more, depending on how many mushrooms you used)
blue vein cheese (as little or as much as you want/can stand)

1. Thaw puff pastry and cut sheet into four squares.  Lightly score a border 1cm in from the each of each square.  Prick the centre with a fork.  Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 - 15 minutes at 200 - 220C, until golden brown.  Set aside to cool (or cook closer to meat being ready and serve warm).
2. Sauce: Add the butter to a shallow wide pan (ie small fry pan) over a medium heat.  Add diced onion and sliced mushroom.  Allow to cook slowly (10 - 15 mins), until the mushrooms start to soften and caramelise.
3. Whilst you wait for the mushrooms, season the beef with salt and pepper and place in a hot pan.  Cook for 3-4 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of the steak and how you like it cooked.  Then remove the pan from heat and put the lid on the pan (or cover pan with alfoil) to let it finish cooking and then rest. 
4. Back to the sauce: Once the mushrooms start to caramelise, add crushed garlic and thyme leaves (pick the leaves off the stalks) and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.  
5. Deglaze the sauce pan by pouring in the liquid of your choice (vege stock, hot water or white wine) and stir to loosen the crunchy bits on the bottom of the pan.
6. Add the cream and crumble in the cheese, and cook slowly till the cheese is melted and the sauce thickens a little.
7. Whilst the sauce is cooking, blanch your beans for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, drain and set aside.  Blanch spinach in same water until wilted, then drain and squeeze out as much water as possible.
8. Once steak has rested, slice diagonally.
9. Assembly: place spinach on top of pastry, then beef slices, then mushroom sauce on top.  Beans on the side, with more sauce.  Crumble more blue cheese over the top and garnish with extra thyme.