Recipe - Beef In Pastry

1 Fillet beef; trimmed and
tied,
; about 30cm/12" long
900 g Mushrooms; finely chopped
5 Shallots; finely cut or sliced up
55 g Butter
120 ml Madeira; port or medium
; sherry
115 g Or 4 tbsp pate de foie gras

FOR THE MARINADE
4 tablespoon Light olive oil
2 md Carrots; cut or sliced up
2 md Onions; cut or sliced up
2 Sticks celery; cut or sliced up
1 Pinches thyme and sage
1 Bay leaf
4 Cloves
6 Peppercorns
1 teaspoon Salt
250 ml Dry white vermouth
4 tablespoon Brandy

FOR THE PASTRY
425 g Plain flour
200 g Butter; chilled
55 g Cookeen
2 teaspoon Salt
175 g Water; chilled
85 g Butter; softened
1 Egg; for glazing

FOR THE SAUCE
2 teaspoon Mushroom ketchup
475 ml Beef stock
1 tablespoon Tomato puree
1 tablespoon Cornflour
85 ml Madeira; port or sherry
Salt and freshly ground
pepper

1 To prepare the Marinade: Heat the oil in a saucepan, add all the
vegetables, herbs and spices, cover and cook gently until tender.

2 Put the fillet in a long nonmetallic dish or casserole, sprinkle
with the salt, cover with the vegetable mixture, and pour on the
vermouth and brandy. Cover and leave in a cool place or a
refrigerator for 24 hours, turning and basting every few hours.

3 Blend the pastry ingredients (except the softened butter) together
and chill for two hours before using. Butter the outside of a
30x6cm/12"x3" loaf tin.

4 Roll three fifths of the pastry into a rectangle of 41x18cm/16x7",
lay it over the upsidedown tin and press into place. Trim so the
pastry forms a case of 3cm/1 1/2" deep. Prick all over with a fork
and chill for 30 minutes.

5 Bake in the middle of a preheated oven at 220c/425f/Gas 7 for 1215
minutes until light brown. Cool for 10 minutes on the tin and
carefully unmould. Scrape the marinade off the meat, reserve it for
the sauce, and dry with kitchen paper.

6 Rub the meat with oil, put in a roasting pan, cover with oiled foil
and place in a preheated oven at 220c/425f/Gas 7. Roast for 25
minutes, turning and basting halfway through the cooking time. Remove
from the oven and cool for 30 minutes.

7 Saute the mushrooms and shallots in the butter for about eight
minutes, add the Madeira and boil rapidly until all the liquid has
evaporated. Stir in 4 tbsp pate, mix well, turn into a bowl and cover
until needed.

8 Roll the remaining pastry into a 41x18cm/16x7" rectangle. Over the
bottom spread half the softened butter and fold in half to enclose
the butter. Repeat with the remaining butter and fold again.

9 Roll into a rectangle, and fold into thirds like a business letter.
Chill for two hours and roll into another rectangle of
41x25cm/16x10". Place the baked bottom case on a buttered baking
sheet and spread half the sauteed mushroom mixture on the case bottom.

10 Remove the string from the beef, place on top of the mushrooms and
cover with the rest. Beat the egg with One half tsp of water, paint the
sides of the case, press together and trim if necessary. Paint with
the egg glaze.

11 Make crosshatch marks over the pastry and three vent holes,
7.5cm/3" apart. Then insert tiny foil funnels for escaping steam.
Bake in the middle of a preheated oven at 220c/425f/Gas 7 for 20
minutes, lowering to 190c/375f/ Gas 5 for 20 minutes before serving.

12 For the Sauce: Simmer the marinade with the mushroom ketchup in
the beef stock and tomato puree for one hour.

13 When reduced to 475ml/16fl oz, strain, return to the saucepan and
thicken with cornflour mixed with the Madeira, port or sherry. Simmer
until shiny and thickened, and season to taste.