September is here and that means Tainted Bride, the first of the Forever Brides series, is just around the corner. I’m so excited I can’t contain myself. This book means a lot to me and I know you’re going to love it.
Fall also means the weather is cooling off and I can turn my oven on again. Many of you already know that in my house we love to cook. So when I think Romance, England and nineteenth century, I think Beef Wellington.
What? You don’t?
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington has hundreds of pubs, bars and restaurants named for him, some pretty awesome boots and a decadent beef tenderloin dish along with dozens of other things. But let’s talk beef! There’s no actual proof that Wellington ever ate his beef wrapped in puff pastry. It didn’t gain the name until nearly 100 years after Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. I have no clue why the spectacular dish is named for him, but they did eat similar dishes in England at the time Tainted Bride, Sophia Braighton arrived in London on a ship from America. And really, anything wrapped in puff pastry has to be good!
In honor of Sophia and Daniel, here is how you can impress friends and family with an elegant beef Wellington.
Beef Wellington
1 pound Beed tenderloin
Butter
1 package of frozen puff pastry (Store bought)
1 Medium onion minced
8 oz mushrooms chopped
½ tsp thyme leaves
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 Tbls red wine
½ pound goose or duck liver paté (or substitute chicken or vegetable) If you can’t find paté in the store, send me a note and I’ll send you a recipe.
1 egg separated
2 tsp milk
Bordelaise Sauce (see below)
Parsley for garnish
Preheat oven 425 F
You can either keep your tenderloin whole or cut it up and wrap individual portions. For whole tenderloin, make it into a ring with the fat end holding down the thin end. If you use another cut of meat make sure you tenderize.
Place beef on a rack in an open roasting pan. Brush beef with 1 Tbls melted butter. Insert a meat thermometer into the center. Roast until internal temperature reaches 110 degrees. (About 30 minutes for a whole tenderloin.) Remove from oven and let stand on counter for 30 minutes. Do not turn off the oven.
Thaw pastry as package directs.
Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbls butter in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until all the liquid is gone. Stir in wine and cook until dry. Turn off heat and let cool slightly.
Place the pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll out with a floured rolling pin into a 14” x 12” rectangle. (large enough to fit meat) Place on a greased cookie sheet. Place cooled beef in center of dough. With a knife, cut the pastry with a one inch boarder all the way around.
Spread paté evenly over tenderloin, top with mushroom mixture. Brush some egg white around the one inch boarder of pastry. Roll out the second puff pastry the same way you did the first and place loosely over the beef, pressing around the base with a fork to seal and make a pretty boarder.
Beat the egg yolk with a little milk and brush the top and sides of the pasty. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 375 and bake 20 minutes until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and with two spatulas place the Beef Wellington on a warm platter and let stand for 15 minutes for easier slicing.
For Bordelaise sauce.
3 Tbls butter
1 Tbls onion minced
3 Tbls flour
1 Tbls parsley chopped
¼ tsp thyme
1/8 tsp black pepper
10 oz beef broth
½ cup red wine
Pinch of salt
In a heavy saucepan over low heat ad 3 Tbls butter. Cook Tbls minced onion until tender. Add three Tbls flour and stir until lightly browned. Add parsley, thyme and black pepper. Slowly stir of beef broth and red wine. Add salt to taste. Turn up the heat and cook stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.
Serve beef in thick slices, garnish with parsley and drizzle with sauce.
Enjoy while reading Tainted Bride available September 27. 🙂
Only trust can save her….
Sailing to London, Sophia Braighton only hopes to escape certain ruin. But when she arrives, her Great Aunt Daphne has other plans for the American-born beauty. Determined to marry off her niece to a man of means, she propels Sophia into London society, not knowing that the young woman’s trust in men is shattered. In fact, Sophia never expects to ever feel anything for a man. Then again, she never expects to find herself in the company of the dashing earl of Marlton….
From the moment he sees Sophia, Daniel Fallon feels alive in a way he has not since his broken engagement. Though the vulnerable beauty shies from the passion burning bright between them, Daniel is determined to court her and make her his bride. And when he learns of the painful secret she harbors, he is equally determined to take revenge on the man responsible. But will the quest destroy him—and his future with his beloved?
Uncover the Truth With These New Mystery Series