Beef Wellington

The Hubs has been dying to make Beef Wellington for a little over a year now. However, without a place of our own (and a kitchen) it's been difficult to have a dinner party. Now that we're married and have said place (with said kitchen) we had our first dinner party.

Remember a few weeks ago when we went to Palm Springs and I learned that Easy Peasy Appetizer recipe from Tiffany? She also made us duck! We had to make something awesome to compete with that. Right? Enter, the Hubs' perfect opportunity for Beef Wellington.

He Googled all over the place for a good recipe and you would be surprised at all the different ways to make Beef Wellington out there! After reading a TON he decided on one from AllRecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 ounces liver pate (we used less than 1 oz)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
salt and pepper to taste
1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth (never used)
2 tablespoons red wine (we used Brandy instead)

DIRECTIONS
1 - Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2 - Place beef in a small baking dish, and spread with 2 tablespoons softened butter.

3 -Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until browned.

4 - Remove from pan, and allow to cool completely. Reserve pan juices.

5 - Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and mushrooms in butter for 5 minutes. (This is where we added Brandy. We also let it cook for much longer to caramelize the onions). Remove from heat, and let cool.

6 - Mix together pate and 2 tablespoons softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. (We didn't do this, we went for straight pate).

7 - Spread pate over beef. Top with onion and mushroom mixture.

8 - Roll out the puff pastry dough, and place beef in the center. Fold up, and seal all the edges, making sure the seams are not too thick.

9 - Place beef in a 9x13 inch baking dish (or any baking dish it will fit in), cut a few slits in the top of the dough, and brush with egg yolk. (We decorated the tops with the extra dough)

10 - Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until pastry is a rich, golden brown.

11 - Set aside, and keep warm.

12 - (We also didn't to this) Place all reserved juices in a small saucepan over high heat. Stir in beef stock and red wine; boil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Strain, and serve with beef.

I'm not gonna lie, I'd had some wine before I took this picture...
A) Yes, I know the plate is dirty
B) Yes, I know that looks really red, but trust me it was safe - We took it's temp.

Things I've learned...
A) Pate is gross, it tastes like dog food. Unless, you spread it over Beef and cook it, then it is FANTASTIC! I found myself dreaming of other dishes I could add pate too... like burgers!
B) This is SUPER easy to do!