Venison/ beef wellington

2 ratings

prep time:: null about 2-3 hours
total time:: null about 2-3 hours

About 4 servings

This is rich and delicious and a lot of work--one of my favorite recipes for deer but generally best for company or special occassions. You could cut some corners for time, but why bother when you’re buying pate?

ingredients

Brioche:
tip: you can substitute with store-bought puff pastry dough. The brioche is time-consuming but not that difficult, and it tastes great.
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk, warm
2 3/4 oz unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs plus one egg, divided and slightly beaten
Duxelles:
8 oz grocery store mushrooms
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp very finely minced shallots or scallions
1 tbsp dry sherry or Madiera
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional, but what the hell)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Pinch of dried thyme or grated nutmeg
Meat:
1 center cut filet of beef or chateaubriand, about three pounds, well trimmed (I generally use dad’s venison loin, about two or three pieces, depending on the size, but I have made it with beef before too)
salt and black pepper to taste
5 ounzes (1/2 cup) fois gras (if you’re really feeling fancy--I personally have never used real fois gras) or duck, goose or chicken liver pate, mashed until smooth
1 1/2 cup of the Duxelles mixture (recipe here)
3 tbsp Madiera, port or other sweet red wine
1 large egg
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp milk
Sauce:
2 tbsp butter
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup brown beef, chicken or whatever stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup basic brown sauce
fresh lemon juice (optional)

directions

1
Make brioche dough:
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1: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
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2: Gradually add the warm milk, butter and two eggs and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl
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3: Cover the dough and allow to rise for 2 hours or until it is doubled in volume. Punch it down and you are ready to use it for the meat.
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While the dough is rising, make Duxelles:
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1: Chop mushrooms in food processer until they resemble coarse sand
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2: Squeeze about 1/4 cup of mushrooms at a time in a kitchen clean kitchen towel until all the moisture comes out. Wring them very hard. You will know you’re done when the mushrooms are in a solid lump (this is the hardest part of this recipe, besides finding pate)
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3: Heat butter and oil in a medium skillet until foam subsides
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4: Add shallots and cook briefly.
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5: Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until there is very little liquid and they have begun to brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
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6: Stir in sherry or Madeira, cook until completely evaporated.
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7: Add cream (if using), salt, pepper and nutmeg.
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8: Let cool. If you make more than you need for this recipe, these are great in eggs or on toast and will keep in the fridge for about 10 days. You can also freeze them.
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The meat:
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1: Season the meat with salt and pepper
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2: combine pate, 1 1/2 cup duxelles and madeira in a small bowl
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3: spread the pate mixture over the entire filet.
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4: Roll out brioche dough to about 1/4 inch thick and make sure it’s large enough to wrap easily over your entire filet with some overlap.
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5: lightly whisk together 1 large egg, 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp milk.
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6: Wrap the meat in the dough in a neat package, trimming off any excess and sealing the edges by brushing them with the milk mixture and pressing them together.
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7: Grease a baking sheet and place wrapped meat, seam side down, in the center. Brush the top with the remaining egg wash. If you’re feeling really fancy, use the leftover dough to make decorative cut-outs or scrolls and stick ’em on with your egg mixture. Cut two or three small holes evenly spaced in the pastry to allow steam to escape while meat cooks and allow you to insert meat thermometer without breaking the crust.
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8: Bake until golden brown and meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 120 to 125 degrees for rare, 125 to 130 for medium-rare or 135-140 for medium (about 35 to 45 minutes). If the pastry gets too brown during baking, cover it with foil.
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9: Remove the roast from the oven and let it stand, uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes
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While meat is roasting make sauce (you can substitute any wine sauce or skip the sauce. I can’t remember what sauce I made with this, but this is one that was suggested in the recipe)
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1: Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat
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2: add mushrooms and stir until liquid is evaporated
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3: stir in stock and wine and simmer for 10 minutes
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4: Stir in basic brown sauce and simmer for about 20 minutes
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5: just before serving season with lemon, if desired, and salt and pepper.