Beef Wellington in brioche, after Julia Child
ANTI-CHEF · ♥ 15.3K likes · 603.8K views · 21 min video
Read about tenderloin (filet mignon, chateaubriand, tournedos) in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- active yeast
- warm water
- salt
- sugar
- milk
- flour
Sprinkle the yeast into warm water to liquefy, add salt and sugar, then the warm milk, and stir.
- eggs
Well the flour, add the eggs and the yeast mix, and bring together with a rubber spatula on a floured surface.
- butter
Work the cut butter into the dough a little at a time with the heel of the hand until smooth and elastic.
- 1 lb mushrooms
Deflate, flatten to about 10 inches, make a letter fold, flatten to a rectangle, fold again, and refrigerate overnight.
Wring the minced mushrooms in a clean dish towel in batches to squeeze out as much juice as possible.
- 1 whole shallot
- 43 g butter
- mild-cured ready-cooked ham
Melt the butter in a frying pan over moderate high heat; when foaming, add the mushrooms and minced shallot.
Squeezing and cooking the duxelles
- 1½ tbsp flour
Cook about five minutes until the pieces separate, then stir in the flour for two minutes.
- 60 ml Madeira wine
- foie gras en bloc
Off the heat, add the Madeira, blend, then return to moderate high heat for one more minute.
Adding Madeira
- ½ lb chicken liver
- 1 whole onion
- garlic
- ¼ tsp thyme leaves
- bay leaf
- ½ tsp salt
- 118 ml water
For the pate, simmer the chicken liver, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt and water covered on reduced heat about three minutes, stirring, until barely pink inside.
Lift out everything but the water with a slotted spoon, discard the bay leaf, and process to a coarse puree.
- 165 g room temp butter
- 2 tsp brandy
- salt and pepper
Beat in the room temperature butter two tablespoons at a time, then the brandy, then salt and pepper; wrap and chill.
- 42 g liver paste
- 1 whole egg yolk
- ½ tsp dried tarragon
Mix 42 g of the pate into the duxelles with the egg yolk, tarragon, pepper and salt and set aside.
Finishing the duxelles stuffing
- carrots
- celery
- onion
- bacon
For the brown sauce, dice the carrots, celery and onion; dice the bacon and simmer it in water 10 minutes.
- ghee
- beef stock
Cook the vegetables and bacon in ghee over medium heat, add flour and cook on low until golden, not brown.
- flour
- tomato paste
- parsley
Whisk in the boiling beef stock so it does not clump, add tomato paste and a cheesecloth bundle of parsley, thyme and bay leaf.
- 2½ lb beef tenderloin
Partially cover and cook two hours, skimming the scum; strain, season with salt and pepper, film the surface and refrigerate.
Cut the tenderloin into 16 even slices about half an inch thick and salt and pepper each slice.
- cooking oil
Paint the inside of a damp cheesecloth with oil; rebuild the roast slice by slice with a tablespoon of duxelles spread between each.
Rebuilding the roast in cheesecloth
Tie a loop of string along the length, stretch the cheesecloth tight, twist and tie each end, and tie string round the circumference.
Baste the wrapped roast all over with melted butter.
- melted butter
Roast 25 minutes in the upper part of a 425 degree oven, turning and basting with butter throughout.
Roll the chilled brioche dough into a rectangle a quarter inch thick, roll it onto the pin and lay it on the oiled pizza tray.
Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle, lay it over the top and tuck it under the bottom sheet.
Egg wash and dough decorations
- egg wash
Brush with egg wash, cut decorations from the leftover dough, place them on and egg wash again.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is browned, then lower to 350 for the rest of the bake, 30 to 40 minutes in total.