Beef Wellington with Prosciutto and Cheese

If you want to woo your guests or make a romantic dinner for that special person in your life; this is a delicious recipe filled with flavors that will have them eating each bite with umms, oooh and ahhs!  In Italy, it is not very customary to make the sounds of umms, oooh and ahhs when you take a bite of your meal at the table, but here in America, it is acceptable, so go for it! 

This recipe can be prepared the night before your meal. It does take some time to prepare; if you are preparing a meal for 8.   I've added some photos to assist you with the process.  My photos show 6oz, 8oz servings of filet mignon, so you can see the difference in size. It is preferrable to serve the 6oz filet mignon as a single serving.

I have made this recipe with different types of cheeses from the N.W. ; since this is where I live and I try to buy locally.  However, I originally made this with a Blue Stilton and it is absolutely delicious.  The Blue Stilton just adds a milder taste that enhances the flavors of the prosciutto, filet mignon and the hint of truffle if you choose to add the truffle paste to this recipe (I highly recommend it).  Since Blue Stilton is a favorite in England during the holidays, this recipe will definitely be a favorite with your guests.



Searing and cooled



Prosciutto

Plastic food wrap layered with prosciutto, mushroom mixture, cheese and filet mignon

Wrap tightly and refrigerate 1-2 hours or it can be refrigerated the day before your dinner.

Day of dinner; unwrap and place on puff pastry sheet, brush with egg wash and enclose puff pastry over filet. 
*Chef note: I made my own puff pastry; so this one may look different from the store purchased puff pastry.

8 oz and 6 oz Beef Wellington





Baked to medium rare.  Delicious!



Sadie's RECIPE:

Beef Wellington with Prosciutto and Cheese

Serves 8

1 package dry porcini mushrooms (*about ½ pound)

8 – 1 ½ inch thick, 6 - 8 oz) center cut Filet Mignon

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons shallots, chopped

½ cup *Beecher’s Flagship or *Cougar Gold cheese  or a Blue Stilton cheese (my original recipe)

1 tsp truffle paste (optional)

8-10 slices of prosciutto

2 large eggs, beaten

2 (17.5 oz package) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Flour for dusting

Preheat oven to 450* degrees F

Place porcini mushrooms in a large bowl filled with water and rehydrate (about 15 -20 minutes).

Remove Filet Mignon from refrigerator about 30 minutes before preparing. Pat filet mignons dry and season with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. In a large skillet (cast iron works best) on high heat, sear filets on both sides. Note: allow filet to sear well on each side, turning over once (about 2 – 3 minutes each side). Set aside.

Remove mushrooms from water, pat dry with paper towel and chop. Discard water.

In heavy skillet, on medium heat, add butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté porcini and shallots until tender. Place mushrooms and shallots in a bowl; add truffle paste (optional) and stir together, let cool.

Crumble cheese in a bowl and set aside.

For each preparation; cut a sheet of plastic food wrap and place on counter. On top of the plastic food wrap, place the following in order: one slice of prosciutto, mushroom mixture, 2 tablespoons of crumbled cheese and Filet Mignon. Take plastic wrap to fold prosciutto and toppings over filet mignon. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 – 2 hours before next step or you can prepare the day before your dinner.

In a small bowl beat together eggs for an egg wash and set aside.

Roll out puff pastry dough; place on a lightly coated counter with flour; cut puff pastry into squares to fit around your Filet Mignon (around 6- 7 inch squares).

For each square: Unwrap Filet Mignon carefully and place on puff pastry square (discard plastic wrap). Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash on side of pastry and fold opposite corners to enclose completely. Place seam side down on baking pan and brush with egg wash on top and on sides. Score the top of puff pastry with a sharp knife a couple of times. Bake for 10 minutes at 450*F and then reduce heat to 425*F and bake for 10-15 minutes, until pastry is a golden brown.

*Beecher's and Cougar Gold Cheese are from the N.W. You can find Cougar Gold cheese through W.S.U. web site and Beecher’s cheese directly through Beecher’s (http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/) or on Amazon.com. These are both rich white cheddar cheeses that are absolutely delicious with this recipe. The original recipe I created was with the Blue Stilton and it is quite delicious as well. 

*Porcini is usually difficult to find as a fresh item; some specialty food stores will carry fresh porcini, but most of the time it is dried.  The packages will usually tell you the equivalent weight to fresh porcini. 

Suggestions: Serve Beef Wellington with Demi-Glace and roasted potatoes (fingerling potatoes) and with a green vegetable

Buon Appetito!

Apple Butter Cake

Sadie's Apple Butter Cake

After 12 hours of cooking the Apples for Apple Butter (recipe on previous BLOG); you end up with the most delicious Apple Butter that is tasty and ready to eat.  You can make so many things with Apple Butter; such as, cookies, breads, cakes, use as a spread and much more.  I decided to test a cake with a standard cake recipe and it turned out absolutely delicious, it was moist and the texture was just perfect.  It made a great dessert cake served with some creme fraiche and/or a very nice cake in the morning with tea or coffee.

This cake reminded me of the British version of the Malt Loaf; very similar flavors and texture.  Enjoy!



Moist, sweet and Delicious!





Sadie's Apple Butter Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon unsalted sweet butter

1 1/4 cup Apple Butter

3/4 cup organic brown sugar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 egg (gently beaten)

1/2 cup heavy cream (you can substitute for milk)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup of sultanas or raisins

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Prepare a round cake pan (I used a 10 x 3 round cake) with a light coat of butter or cooking spray and a light coat of flour (shake off excess flour).

Sift all dry ingredients together: Flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and sultanas and set aside.

Melt butter on low heat until it becomes golden brown (do not overcook butter).  Add butter into a mixing bowl with Apple Butter, brown sugar, olive oil and mix until all ingredients are combined to a smooth consistency.  To the Apple Butter mixture, add beaten egg, cream or milk, vanilla and mix just until combined.  Add dry ingredients to mixture a little at a time until well combined.

Pour cake mixture into round baking pan and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until pierced with a toothpick and it comes out clean.  

Cool cake for about 10 minutes and then remove from pan to cool completely or serve warm.

Serve this cake with a dollop of creme fraiche or whipped cream and/or even with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chef Notes:

I use all organic ingredients when available.  I used a homemade Apple Butter, but you can buy Apple Butter at any grocery store in your area.  Also, you can substitute the Apple Butter for a Pear Butter or even a Pumpkin Butter for the holidays!

Buon Appetito!