Beef Wellington with roasted parsnips & carrots, fondant potatoes and port wine sauce

Recipe and photo Anne Faber - Annes's Kitchen

For the beef Wellington:

Start with the mushroom duxelles: Cover the porcini with 100 ml hot water and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain (reserve the liquid) and chop finely.

Finely chop the mushrooms in a food processor.

Heat 25 g butter in a pan. Sauté shallot and garlic for 1 minute over medium heat, then add the chopped mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes until the liquid evaporates.

Add the chopped porcini, thyme, porcini water and white wine. Cook another 10 minutes until the mixture is completely dry. Let cool completely.

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil with butter in a pan. Add the rosemary and garlic, then sear the beef on all sides until well browned. Transfer to a plate and let cool completely for 30 minutes.

Brush the cooled beef all over with mustard.

Lay out a large piece of cling film. Arrange the Parma ham slices slightly overlapping into a rectangle. Spread the mushroom mixture in a rectangle in the centre, place the beef on top and roll tightly using the cling film. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Roll out one sheet of puff pastry. Remove the beef from the cling film and place in the centre of the pastry. Cut a few strips from the pastry edges and cut out small stars using a cookie cutter.

Fold the pastry up around the beef. Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry and drape it over the top. Fold the edges underneath so the Wellington is neatly sealed.

Brush with beaten egg. Score the pastry with the back of a knife, place the stars on top and brush again with egg.

Chill the Wellington for 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

Bake the Wellington for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the beef reaches an internal temperature of 54–56°C.

Rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

For the port wine sauce:

Peel and finely chop the shallots.

Heat butter and oil in a saucepan. Add shallots, thyme and bay leaf and cook for 2 minutes until translucent.

Deglaze with port and red wine. Bring to a boil and reduce for 15 minutes until reduced by about two thirds.

Add the beef stock and simmer for another 35 minutes until reduced by half.

Strain the sauce and pour it back into the pot. Add the cornstarch.

Stir in plum jam and sugar. Bring to a boil again and season with salt and pepper.

For the fondant potatoes:

Peel the potatoes and trim the top and bottom so they are flat. Use a 5 cm round cookie cutter to cut out neat cylinders.

Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan (30 cm). Brown the potatoes on the cut sides over high heat for about 5 minutes per side.

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

Once browned, add butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Let the butter foam, then turn the potatoes to coat them well.

Add 300 ml stock so the potatoes sit about two-thirds in the liquid.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 35 minutes, adding the remaining stock after 15 minutes.

Spoon the buttery stock over the potatoes before serving.

For the roasted parsnip & carrots:

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

Peel the carrots and parsnips and halve or quarter them lengthwise depending on thickness.

Place in an ovenproof dish and mix with olive oil, honey and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 25 minutes. Add the balsamic glaze and roast for another 10 minutes.

Before serving, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and parsley.