Serves 6
1/2 stick (2 oz) 50 g butter
2 lb (900 g) beef fillet
2 large onions, sliced
1 1/3 cup (100 g) mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 pinch of thyme
1/2 level tsp salt
black pepper
14 oz (397 g) packet of puff pastry, thawed
a little beaten egg (to glaze)
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) gas mark 7.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the meat and fry quickly to brown, turning occasionally to seal in the juices on all sides. Lift it out and allow to cool.
3. Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the parsley, thyme, salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.
6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle measuring about 14 x 16 in. (35 x 40cm), though this size may vary slightly with the shape of the piece of beef.
7. Set the beef in the centre of the pastry and place the onion and mushroom mixture on top.
8. Cut a 1 1/2 in. (3.5cm) square from each corner of the pastry and keep on one side.
9. Fold up the pastry around the meat, turning up the ends first and then the sides, which should just overlap the meat to cover it completely.
10. Dampen the pastry with water or beaten egg where it overlaps so that it remains secure during cooking.
11. Turn over, place on a baking sheet and brush the top with beaten egg.
12. Cut the remaining pastry into leaf shapes and use to decorate the top. Brush with more beaten egg.
13. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour if you like beef to be pink in the centre.
Serve at once.
