William's Beef Wellington
Serves 4

¼ cup butter
4 beef tenderloin filets, about 4 ounces each
Salt, white pepper
4 teaspoons minced or chopped garlic
½ cup chopped fresh shitake mushrooms
1 small onion, minced
4 shitake mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup good Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel wine
1 can (10½ ounces) condensed beef broth
1 can (12 ounces) Swansons uncondensed beef broth
1-2 bay leafs
Worcestershire sauce
6 to 8 ounces liver pâté with truffles
4 ready-to-use round pie crust dough sheets
1 egg, beaten

Melt butter in a skillet. Sprinkle filets with salt, pepper, and rub each with 1 teaspoons of garlic. Sauté steaks in butter 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Drain steaks; chill. To pan drippings add chopped mushrooms; sauté until wilted. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon, draining carefully, and chill. To pan drippings, add minced onion, cook for 10-15 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, then add sliced mushrooms to pan drippings. Cook mushrooms for 5-10 minutes until well wilted, then stir in flour and gradually stir in red wine and beef broth. Add bay leaf and cook, stirring, until the Wellington sauce bubbles and thickens, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a few drops of Worcestershire (be careful not to use too much, it can have an overpowering flavor). Mix chilled chopped mushrooms with liver pâté. Spread mixture like frosting over the tops of the chilled steaks. Refrigerate. Cut each of the 4 ready-to-use pie crust sheets into a large square. Save the pie crust trimmings for decorations. Brush pie crust squares with beaten egg. Place steaks, pâté side down, on the pie crust. Fold dough over the steak enclosing it completely and sealing the edges with beaten egg. Place steaks seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg. Use dough scraps to make desired design on top. Brush design with beaten egg. Bake in a preheated 425º F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is a rich brown. Serve hot with a warm sauce. Asparagus, hollandaise, and wild rice is a good accompanyment. I've found that McFadden Farm California Wild Rice is especially good. A 6 ounce box boiled for exactly 40 minutes makes enough for 4 small portions. If you desire, you can wrap the asparagus into bundles using uncut fresh chives. Knorr makes a great packaged hollandaise mix. I also recommend sipping a bit of that Cabernet or Zinfandel while preparing this wonderful dish! Bon appetit!


[ Home Page ]