Filet de Boeuf en Croûte al la Saint

2.5 kg		Beef fillet
850 g		Button mushrooms
3 Tbs		Unsalted butter
330 g		Pate de foie gras
1.2 kg		Puff pastry
2 large		Eggs
2 tsp		lemon juice
2 cups		fresh parsley
5 whole		shallots
1 cup		dry sherry
1 whole		chicken breast fillet
2 rashers		bacon
1 cup		fresh breadcrumbs
		Rossini Sauce
1 cup		brandy
3 cups		demi glace
5 Tbs		port or madeira
2		cloves
6		peppercorns
2		bay leaves

1	Prep: Separate egg and whisk yolk with 1 tsp water. Trim fillet of all fat and sinew. Finely chop mushrooms and sprinkle immediately with lemon juice to retain their light colour. Finely chop bacon, shallots and parsley.
2	Sauté the bacon and a quarter of the shallots in some of the butter. Steam chicken breast until just cooked, allow to cool. Mince the cooled chicken with shallots, bacon and half of the fresh parsley in a food processor. Add 1 egg and the breadcrumbs and process to form a fine stuffing. Cut a pocket in the fillet with a sharp, thin knife and pack the stuffing in firmly. Tie firmly.
3	Using a heavy skillet, sauté the tied fillet in some butter and flame with a little brandy. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast the beef in the middle of a preheated 230°C oven for 10 minutes. Let the fillet cool completely and remove the strings. Skim the fat from the pan juices and reserve the juices.
4	In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms in the remaining butter, shallots and parsley over mod-low heat, stirring, until all liquid they give off is evaporated and the mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper and let cool completely. Spread the fillet evenly with foie gras, covering the top and sides, and spread the mushrooms evenly over the foie gras.
5	On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle about 20x12 inches, or large enough to enclose the roast completely. Invert the fillet in the middle of the pastry and fold up the long sides to enclose it, brushing the edges of the dough with some egg white to seal them. Fold the ends of the dough over the fillet and seal with the egg white. Transfer the fillet, seam side down, to a jelly-roll pan and brush the dough with egg wash. Roll out additional dough and cut out shapes with which to decorate the dough. After applying, brush with egg wash. Chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
6	Bake the fillet in the middle of a preheated 200°C oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C and bake an additional 5-10 minutes more or until a meat thermometer registers 54°C for medium rare meat and the pastry is cooked through. Let stand for 15 minutes.
7	In a saucepan, combine the demi glace with any reserved meat juices. Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, brandy and port/madeira and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain to remove bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves before serving.
8	Loosen the fillet from the pan, transferring it to a heated platter. Garnish with watercress. Serve the fillet cut into 15-20 mm thick slices, with the sauce.

Servings: 12

Recipe Type

,beef,french,chicken,

Recipe Source

Author: Mark Taylor

Source: The Gourmet Saint staff