Name: Beef Wellington
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 5 to 6 people
Ingredients: about 900 to 1kg beef fillet; 3 garlic cloves - finely chopped; 2 onions - finely chopped; 10 basil leaves - finely chopped; 1 carrot - finely chopped; Ingredient A; 1 tsp hondashi; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tsp soy sauce; 100g raw ham; some sliced cheese (optional); 1 pack of puff pastry (28cm dia); For the sauce; 50g fresh basil; 1 tsp soy sauce; 60g sesame oil; 2 tbsp white sesame; 3 garilc cloves; 2 tbsp mayonnaise; dash of salt; dash of sugar

Beef Wellington

Persons

Prep Time

40 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

Total Time

1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients

about 900 to 1kg beef fillet
3 garlic cloves - finely chopped
2 onions - finely chopped
10 basil leaves - finely chopped
1 carrot - finely chopped

Ingredient A

1 tsp hondashi
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
100g raw ham
some sliced cheese (optional)
1 pack of puff pastry (28cm dia)

For the sauce

50g fresh basil
1 tsp soy sauce
60g sesame oil
2 tbsp white sesame
3 garilc cloves
2 tbsp mayonnaise
dash of salt
dash of sugar

Instructions

1. In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the garlic until fragrant. Add onion, basil and carrot in order and cook until soft. Season with the ingredient A and let it cool. Set aside.
2. Season the beef filet with kosher salt and pepper on all sides. In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp oil over high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the fillet on all sides until well browned. Set aside.
3. Remove the beef filet from the pan and let cool. Once cooled, cover with the cooked vegetables from #1. Wrap filet with raw ham.
4. Tightly wrap the filet, using the plastic wrap and seal ends. Refrigerate for about 20 to 30min.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Roll out a sheet of puff pastry, unwrap the beef filet onto the puff pastry, then wrap until the ends meet. Cut off any extra puff pastry. You can decorate your puff pastry with the any excess.
6. Brush the surface with the beaten eggs. With a fork or a knife, score a decorative design onto the surface of the puff pastry as you like.
7. Bake for 40min or more until the puff pastry is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the beef filet reaches about 60C (140°C) for medium-rare.
8. In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients into your food processor and process until smooth.
9. Slice into 2~3cm thick slices, gently transfer to serving plates and drizzle over some sauce, or serve on the side.

Japanese style Apple Pie

Serving Size

about 25cm circle pie

Prep Time

2 hours

Cook Time

45 minutes

Total Time

2 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the puff pastry

200g all purpose flour (T55)
50g water
40g vodka
20g unsalted butter - soft/room temperature
1/4 tsp fine salt

For the butter layer

120g cold unsalted butter - cut into slices

For the filling

3 to 4 apples - cut into small cubes (or 3 apples and 1 pear)
10g salted butter
50g sugar
1 tsp maple syrup - optional
1 egg - beaten
40g simple cookies like rich tea cookie - crumbled
or white sandwich bread - thinly sliced
2 to 3 tbsp apricot jam

Instructions

1. *Make the puff pastry* Fit your food processor with the dough blade, add all the puff pastry ingredients and process until the flour clumps together in large pieces and comes together.
2. Roll out the dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Make it into a rectangle shape and sprinkle cold unsalted butter (120g) onto the dough (see photo).
3. With the short border of the rectangle closest you, fold the dough into thirds: top and bottom edges to be folded in (see photo). The butter should be enclosed in the dough. Rotate 90 degrees, and roll it out again into a big rectangle with the rolling pin. Fold it again.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for about 30 minutes or until firm.
5. Repeat steps #3 and #4 twice more. The dough should be smooth by now. Chill it in plastic again for 30 min.
6. *Make the filling* In a frying-pan, melt butter. Add sugar and apple cubes. Cook them on medium-low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until wilted. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Set aside.
7. *Assemble the cake* Divide the pastry dough in 2 parts, 1/3 and 2/3. Roll out the 2/3rd piece at once and cut into about 25cm circle. Place it on a baking sheet and prick the bottom of the pastry thoroughly with a fork.
8. Roll out the other remaining pastry and cut into strips. Brush the edges of the 25cm circle pastry with water (or beaten egg). Put the pastry strip all around the bottom of the cake to make the border.
9. Then spread the crumbled cookies evenly and spread the apple filling from #6 over the cookies.
10. Make a lattice with the remaining pastry strips over the cake and press gently down to seal well at each strip end. Pre-heat the oven to 200℃.
11. Brush the top of the cake with beaten egg.
12. Bake for 20min. Then lower the heat to 180℃ and bake for another 20min or until nicely browned on top and bottom.
13. Remove the cake from the oven and glaze with apricot jam.
Note : You can bake the remaining pastry into a mini-pie too.