Filet de boeuf en croûte – beef in the crust

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 ½ kg beef fillet(s)
• 1 tbsp oil
• e.g. salt and pepper
• 40 g clarified butter
• 600 g mushrooms
• 6 shallots
• 6 tbsp mustard (horseradish)
• 100 g liver sausage or pâté, veal liver, poultry liver, truffle liver, foie gras (optional)
• 450 g puff pastry
• 1 egg(s)
• 150 ml Madeira
• 150 ml cream
• n. B. Truffle, (optional)
• 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes

the French version of the Filet Wellington

Rub the fillet with oil, salt, and pepper on all sides and roast on a rack in a preheated oven (230°C) for 40 minutes. Remove and let cool. Reserve the drippings. Finely dice the shallots and finely chop the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the diced shallots and mushrooms until the juices have almost evaporated. Mix with the mustard (mix horseradish with mustard if desired) to form a creamy paste (stuffing). (Everything up to this point can be prepared hours in advance.) Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle, enough to completely cover the fillet. Moisten the edges or brush with egg yolk. Spread the liverwurst paste and then the mustard, mushroom, and shallot stuffing over the cooled fillet, then place it on the puff pastry. Wrap the pastry around the fillet and seal the edges tightly. Place seam-down on a baking sheet. Roll out the leftover dough again and cut out decorative shapes to drape the meat roll. Brush everything with beaten egg and pierce the dough in several places to allow the steam to escape. Bake in a preheated oven (230°C) for 35 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the beef en croûte to another platter and let it rest for another 10 minutes in the switched-off oven. Meanwhile, deglaze the pan juices with Madeira and cream and season with a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Truffles are served with a kind of Périgord sauce. Serve the fillet sliced. We usually serve it with steamed tomatoes or glazed carrots with Pommes de Terre Anna or tomato croquettes.