Beef Wellington

This is an elegant yet surprisingly easy British recipe 

3 lb fillet of beef

4 tbsp butter

4 oz mushrooms, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

6 oz liver pate

Salt and pepper

14 oz puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tbsp horseradish 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Rub the fillet with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large, oven-proof, skillet and sear the meet on all sides until brown. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the meat from the oven and let cool completely.

Melt 2 tbsp butter in the skillet, add mushrooms and garlic, cook for 5 minutes until soft. Cool slightly. Add the liver pate to the mushrooms and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Roll out the puff pastry, spread the pate mixture down the middle, and place the fillet on top. Fold up the pastry, brush the edges with beaten egg and press the edges together, to seal. Place the wrapped meat, seam down, on a baking sheet, cut a few slits in the dough. Use pastry trimmings to cut shapes to decorate the top. Brush with beaten egg.Cook for 50-60 minutes in the oven. If pastry starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

Allow the meat to stand for 15 minutes in a warm place, before serving.

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and horseradish. spoon the sauce over the sliced beef.

Adapted from THE BEST OF TRADITIONAL BRITISH COOKING by Christopher Trotter, Annette Yates, Georgina Campbell