Stuffed Fillet of Beef

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 50kg beef fillet in one piece
• 200g shallots – peeled
• 15g dried porcini mushrooms
• 400g fresh mixed mushrooms
• 50g butter + extra for frying
• 2 tabs olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic peeled and crushed
• ½ teasp. dried thyme

For the Sauce:

• 1 tabs plain flour
• 400ml beef stock
• 3 tabs Brandy

Method:

1. Pour 250ml of boiling water over the dried porcini mushrooms and leave for 20 mins

2. Drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and chop them.

3. Wash fresh mushrooms – set aside about half of them (those with the best shapes) and finely chop the rest. Fry all the chopped mushrooms with the garlic and thyme in the butter and 1 tabs of olive oil. Cook until lightly browned and all the liquid has evaporated. Leave to get cold.

4. Using a sharp knife, slice the fillet of beef lengthways about 1/3 of the way down so that it can open like a book. Then make another lengthways slice into the thicker part of the beef so that it opens out to a flat, evenly thick piece of meat.

5. Spread the mushroom mixture over the beef and roll it up into a log shape. Secure with kitchen string.

THIS CAN NOW BE WRAPPED AND CHILLED IN THE FRIDGE FOR A DAY.

6. Heat oven to 200oC. In a roasting tin, melt a knob of butter and 1 tabs olive oil, and on the hob fry the beef turning it so that is evenly browned.

7. Tip in the shallots and toss in the hot oil and butter.

8. Roast the meat for:

• 20-25 mins for rare
• 35 mins for medium
• 45 mins for well done

9. 10 Mins before the end of cooking, stir in the whole mushrooms coating them with the oil and juices.

10. Remove the meat and vegetables and keep warm while you make the sauce.

11. Stir into the roasting pan the flour and mix well scraping up all the sticky bits from the bottom. Add the reserved mushroom liquid and beef stock and the brandy and mix well.

Stuffed fillet of beef with shallots