barto@celerity.UUCP (04/20/84)
NOTE: This was originally in Gourmet mag. Some observations: Make 2 of the pate' brisee, 1 will not cover all 4 steaks. Do not cook them for 25-30 minutes unless you want the steak well done. Try for 20-25 minutes. There is A LOT OF PEPPER in this thing. If you do not want so much, cut back on the BLACK pepper, not the green peppercorns. I Highly recommend a Cakebreak Cellers 1979 Zin. The first time I ever tasted it I said to my self and my wife "Individual Beef Wellingtons with Green Peppercorns!" ENJOY! Here is a recipe for lovers of green peppercorns. Individual Beef Wellingtons with Green Peppercorns Ingred: 4 x 1 1/4 inch thick filets mignons (each about 8 oz) 2 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon clarified butter (see later in the article) 1/4 cup cognac 1/2 cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons drained green peppercorns packed in water ( at your favourite specialty foods store ) 8oz tin pate' de foie gras ( at the above store ) pate' brisee (see later in article) an egg wash made by beating 1 egg yolk with 2 tablespoons heavy cream TIME: 5 - 7 hours. Procedure: 1) bard the filets mignons with a slice of bacon with kitchen string 2) Pat the filets dry and sprinkle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, pressing the seasonings into the meat. 3) make the clarified butter 4) in a heavy skillet (caliphilon) sear the steaks in the clarified butter over high heat for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, transfer them with a slotted spatula to a plate, and let them cool. 5) Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet add the cognac, and de-glaze the skillet, scraping up the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides. 6) Cook the mixture over moderately high heat until it is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, add the cream, 1 tablespoon of the green peppercorns and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of pepper, and simmer the sauce stirring, until it is reduced to about 1/3 of a cup. 7) transfer the sauce into a small sauce pan. 8) In a small bowl combine well the pate' de foie gras and the remaining 2 tablespoons of green peppercorns, crushed lightly. Chill the mixture, covered, about 30 minutes. 9) Place the steaks (wrapped in plastic wrap) into the 'frig for about 1 hour to cool. 10) make the Pate' Brisee 11) Roll the dough into a rectangle 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface. Discard the bacon and string from the steaks and spread the pate' mixture on one side of each steak. 12) cut out 4 rectangles of dough just large enough to encase each steak. 13) put 1 steak PATE' SIDE DOWN in the center of each rectangle, and fold the dough around the steaks to form packages, brushing the edges with water and pressing them together to seal them. 14) Put the packages SEAM SIDE DOWN (pate is UP) on a baking sheet. 15) Form the scraps into a ball, roll them out on a floured surface, and cut them into decorative shapes. 16) Brush the shapes with water and divide them among the packages. 17) CHILL THE PACKAGES, covered loosely with plastic wrap, for at LEAST 1 HOUR AND UP TO 4 HOURS. (longer the better) 18) Heat oven to 450 F 19) Make a 1/4 inch hole in the top of each package for a steam vent, brush packages with the egg wash, and bake them in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, Or until they are golden brown. 20) Transfer the packages CAREFULLY to a HEATED platter. 21) Head the sauce over moderate heat until it is hot and spoon it over the Beef Wellingtons. Making Clarified Butter ingred: 2 sticks (1 cup) UNSalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces procedure: 1) In a heavy saucepan (calphilon) melt the butter over low heat. 2) Remove from the heat, let the butter stand for 3 minutes, and skim the froth from the surface. 3) Strain the butter through a sieve lined with a double thickness of rinsed and squeezed cheesecloth into a bowl, leaving the milky solids in the bottom of the pan. It keeps indefinitely when covered and chilled. When clarified, butter loses about 1/4 of its original volume. Making Pate' Brisee Ingred: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour. 3/4 stick cold UNSalted butter cut into bits 2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons Ice water Procedure: 1) In a large bowl blend the flour, the butter, the vegetable shortening and the salt until it resembles meal. 2) Add 3 tablespoons Ice water. 3) Toss the mixture until the water is incorporated, and form into a ball. 4) Knead the dough lightly with the heel of the hand against a smooth surface for a few seconds to distribute the fat evenly. 5) reform into a ball. 6) Dust with flour and chill it wrapped in wax paper for 1 hour. -- barto (david barto) uucp : {decvax!ucbvax || ihnp4 || philabs}!sdcsvax!celerity!barto arpa : sdcsvax!celerity!barto@nosc