Minced Beef Wellington

• Time: 1 hour 40 minutes (Prep 30 mins | Cook 1 hour 10 mins)
• Difficulty: Medium
• Serves: 4-6

Source: Jamie Oliver

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (peeled and chopped)
• 1 carrot (peeled and diced)
• 1 stick of celery (chopped)
• 1 potato (peeled and diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (finely grated)
• 2 large field or portobello mushrooms (roughly chopped)
• olive oil
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• a big handful of frozen peas
• 1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic
• 500g good-quality minced beef
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• plain flour, for dusting
• 500g puff pastry, chilled

Method

1. Prepare the mince

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan.
2. Peel and chop the onion1 medium onion (peeled and chopped), carrot1 carrot (peeled and diced), celery1 stick of celery (chopped) and potato1 potato (peeled and diced) into 1cm sized dice. Finely grate the garlic2 cloves of garlic (finely grated). Clean and roughly chop the mushrooms so they’re about the same size as your other veg.
3. Place all the veg into a large frying pan on a medium low heat with 2 lugs of olive oilolive oil. Pick the rosemary4 sprigs of fresh rosemary leaves off the woody stalks, finely chop them and add to the pan.
4. Fry and stir for around 8 minutes or until the veg softens and colours lightly. Add the frozen peas and cook for another minute.
5. Put the vegetable mixture into a large bowl to cool completely.
6. Crack the egg1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic into a cup and beat it up. Add the minced beef to the bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper and half the beaten egg1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic. With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well.

2. Roll and fill the pastry

1. Lightly dust your clean work surface and rolling pin with flourplain flour, for dusting and roll out the puff pastry500g puff pastry, chilled so it is roughly the size and shape of a small tea towel. Dust with flourplain flour, for dusting as you go.
2. Turn your pastry so you have a long edge in front of you and place the mince mixture along this edge. Mould it into an even, long, sausage shape.
3. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little of the beaten egg1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic. Roll the mince up in the pastry until it’s covered completely. Squeeze the ends together.
4. Dust a baking tray with flourplain flour, for dusting and place your Wellington on top. Brush all over with the rest of the beaten egg1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour until golden.

3. Serve

1. Slice the Wellington up into portions at the table. Lovely served with some lightly boiled or steamed greens, cabbage tossed in a little butter, or mashed potato1 potato (peeled and diced).