Beef Carnavon

"This is an impressive entree for a dinner party that I've made several times.It's from a May 1978 issue of Bon Apetit that featured the menu and recipes of Judythe Roberts, a Cordon Bleu trained chef who runs a gourmet cooking school.This is her version of Beef Wellington and uses a mushroom mixture (duxelles) inside the pastry.Instead of the plain pastry, you may substitute frozen puff pastry.I've also made this using individual beef tenderloin filets,which are baked in the pastry for about 12 minutes. A delicious Sauce Espagnole accompanies this dish. Although the recipe looks lengthy, much of it can be prepared ahead.Bon Apetit!"
 
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Ready In:
1hr 50mins
Ingredients:
30
Serves:
8
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ingredients

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directions

  • Pastry:.
  • In a large bowl mix together flour, butter, shortening and salt until mixture resembles coarse meal.
  • Pour lemon juice and 10 tablespoons ice water over mixture and toss lightly.
  • Gather into a ball;if any crumbs remain add a little more water to form mass and add to ball.
  • Wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Beef:.
  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Trim filet well (or have butcher do it).
  • Rub meat with butter and pepper.
  • Turn ends under if necessary to retain uniform thickness in filet and tie with butcher's twine.
  • Place meat thermometer in filet.
  • Roast on rack until temperature reads 120 degrees, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove from oven; flame with cognac.
  • Reserve pan and drippings to make sauce.
  • Cool meat on rack,remove string(if used) and then refrigerate.
  • While meat is cooling, prepare the duxelles mixture.
  • Duxelles:.
  • Melt butter in a large skillet.
  • Saute shallots until translucent.
  • Add mushrooms; cook slowly over low heat until mushrooms loose moisture, turn dark, and develope a dry look.
  • Add salt to taste; chill.
  • Assembling:.
  • Roll pastry out 1/4 inch thick to envelope meat completely,allowing an overlap at bottom and ends.
  • There may be excess of pastry depending on size of meat.
  • Spread pastry with chilled duxelles.
  • Place filet in center; sprinkle with salt.
  • Bring edges of pastry together,paint with egg white and secure.
  • Place seam side down on a baking sheet.
  • Cut small leaves from pastry scraps and fasten to roll with egg white.
  • Mix yolk and cream and brush roll completely.
  • Let dry 3 or 4 minutes.
  • Refrigerate until ready to complete baking.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Place filet on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue baking 20 to 23 minutes longer.(At 20 minutes the meat will be quite rare.).
  • Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes befoer carving.
  • Garnish with watercress or parsley.
  • Serve with Sauce Espagnole.
  • Sauce Espagnole:.
  • Melt butter in a 1 1/2 quart saucepan.
  • Add next 5 ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown.
  • Remove from heat and blend in flour.
  • Increase heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until roux turns hazelnut brown. (This seems to take a long time, but you must be patient. Once it begins to brown it darkens rapidly so be careful that it does not burn.).
  • Stir in broth and wine.
  • Bring to boiling point and simmer 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Add tomato paste and pepper.
  • Taste and add salt,if needed.
  • Saute mushrooms briefly in a little butter and add to sauce just before serving.

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Reviews

  1. Thank you for posting this recipe. It’s been my favorite Beef Wellington recipe since it came out in Bon Appetit in 1978 as you mentioned. It comes out perfectly every time and we like it with or without the Sauce Espangnol. I much prefer the duxelles over the taste of liver pate with the filet. I like pate, just not with the beef. I follow the recipe exactly and it’s a hit every year. Beautiful presentation.
     
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