Beef Wellington

Named After Famous British Duke, Soldier

It is believed that Beef Wellington was named after the First Duke of Wellington, a noted politician who served as prime minister of England and was a famous soldier of his time.
He was known as "The Iron Duke'' ,and fought in the Battle of Waterloo, where his army defeated Napoleon in 1815.
He lived from 1769 until 1852. It is unclear exactly why this dish was so named. We will venture a guess that he was a known politician who ate well and enjoyed the finest of food, probably ordering this dish on many occasions

Ingredients:

2 lb - 2 lb 8 oz piece fillet beef
2 tbsp sunflower oil
12 oz ready-made puff pastry, thawed if frozen
4 oz button mushrooms thinly sliced
4 oz chicken liver pate
seasoning
beaten egg, to glaze

Method:

1.Preheat oven to 450F/Gas 8/230C (200C for fan ovens and the top of an Aga roasting oven).
2.If you are using the thin end or tail of fillet fold in half so that it is an even thickness along its length as lightly skewer or tie together.
3.Heat oil and brown the beef all over for 10 minutes; remove from pan and leave to cool.
4.Add mushrooms to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.
5.Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to an oval that will enclose the beef. Layer half the mushrooms along the center of the pastry and place the beef on top, removing the skewer or string. Spread over the pate, sprinkle over the remaining mushrooms and season.
6.Fold pastry around the beef, brushing edges with beaten egg to help them stick. Turn it upside-down for a perfect finish. Use any pastry scraps to make leaves. Brush with beaten egg a couple of times.
7.If you like your beef pink, it should take about 10 minutes per 1 lb. If you like it slightly more done add another 1-2 minutes per 1 lb.
8.Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before carving.