Springbok’s Beef Wellington

Directions

Steak

1Preheat a large frying pan on a high heat.

2Massage the beef all over with sea salt and black pepper. Add good lug of oil into the pan, then add the beef, 1 knob of butter and 1 sprig of rosemary.

3Sear the beef for 4 minutes in total, turning regularly to achieve a seared brown all over, then remove to a plate and let rest. Wipe out any old oil pan and return to a medium heat.

4Peel and chop onion and garlic, then very finely chop with the mushrooms and put into the pan with the remaining knob of butter and dash of oil.

5Strip in the rest of the rosemary leaves and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft and starting to caramelise, stirring regularly.

6Toss the livers and Worcestershire sauce into the pan and cook for another few minutes, then tip the contents onto a large board and finely chop to a spreadable consistency.

7Taste and then season to perfection, then stir in the breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven to 210°C.

8On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the pastry to 30cm x 40cm. With one of the longer edges in front of you, spread the mushroom paste over the pastry, leaving a 5cm gap at either end and at the edge furthest away from you – brush with these edges with egg wash.

9Sit the beef on the mushroom paste then, starting with the edge nearest to you, snugly wrap the pastry around the beef, pinching the ends to seal.

10Transfer the Wellington to a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, with the pastry seal at the base, and brush all over with egg wash, season with a little sae salt and cracked black pepper.

11When you’re ready to cook, heat the tray on the hob for a couple of minutes to start crisping up the base, then transfer to the oven and cook for 40 minutes.

Gravy

1In the meantime, for the gravy, peel and roughly chop the onion, carrot, celery and put into a large pan on a medium heat with a dash oil and the thyme leaves.

2Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then stir in the jam and simmer until shiny and quite dark.

3Add the red wine, cook away, then stir in the flour, gradually followed by the stock.

4Simmer to the consistency you like, then pass threw a fine sieve and blend with a stick blender.

5Once cooked, rest the Wellington for 5 minutes, then serve in 2cm-thick slices with the gravy.