Individual Beef Wellingtons

Will you be cooking or going out for Valentines? Why not surprise your special someone with this fillet mignon dinner? While the steaks are pricey, the rest of the meal is not and very easy to put together. These can be made several hours before and put in the fridge to cook half hour before dinner.

Ingredients:

steak and marinade

• 2 - 6 oz thick cut fillet mignon steaks
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp Montreal steak spice

mushroom filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 shallot or 1/4 onion, minced
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup wine or broth
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped very fine
• 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped fine

optional mushroom sauce for presentation

• 1/4 cup wine or broth for deglazing pan
• 1/2 - 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup water
• remaining cooked mushroom filling after preparing the beef wellingtons

pastry

• 1/2 pkg frozen puff pastry
• 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water to make egg wash

Method:

1. Thaw pastry sheet in fridge all day or on counter for a few hours.
2. Mix up the marinade and pour over steaks. Refrigerate half to one hour.
3. In large fry pan, heat olive oil and melt butter over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. 
4. Stir in wine or broth and thyme. Cook until liquid evaporates. 
5. Add parsley and remove to another dish to cool.
6. In the same fry pan, sear steaks about 1 - 2 minutes on each side. Refrigerate to cool down.
7. Roll out pastry to about 12 x 10. Cut in half so that each piece is 6x10. Brush lightly with egg wash to seal bottom. Make slits on each narrow end that your will wrap up and over the steak. (wellingtons usually have the seam side down, but I like it up and crossed) 
8. Scoop about 1/4 cup mushroom filling in center of each. Top with steak and a bit more mushroom filling if you like. 
9. Wrap pastry up, pulling a bit and braid cut ends like hands in prayer, making sure meat is covered.  Fold short sides and tuck to seal, under or up. Brush with egg wash and place on small parchment lined pan that you will bake it in. Return to fridge until half hour before serving. ( if some liquid escapes during this time, simply soak it up with paper towel)
10. If making the optional mushroom sauce (so good), deglaze pan that was used to sear the steaks with 2 - 4 Tbsp wine or broth. Stir in flour and slowly stir in water to make a thick sauce. Add left over cooked mushrooms. Set aside to reheat when plating food. 
11. Bake Wellingtons at 400 F for 20 - 25 minutes. Test with instant read meat thermometer to your liking. 130 F for medium well. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

The filling recipe comes from  Ellen's Beef Wellington in the Celebrations Cookbook.

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