Beef en croûte
Serves: 8, or 12 if served with the salmon
Prep time: 45 mins Total time: 
Photograph by Nassima Rothacker
Beef en croûte
Serves: 8, or 12 if served with the salmon
Prep time: 45 mins Total time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
521Kcal
Fat
32gr
Saturates
14gr
Carbs
22gr
Sugars
1gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
37gr
Salt
0.8gr
Sybil Kapoor
Sybil Kapoor is a chef, food writer and broadcaster with two prestigious Glenfiddich Awards and two Guild of Food Writers awards for outstanding writing. Her fresh approach to food is always an inspiration.
Sybil Kapoor
Sybil Kapoor is a chef, food writer and broadcaster with two prestigious Glenfiddich Awards and two Guild of Food Writers awards for outstanding writing. Her fresh approach to food is always an inspiration.
Ingredients
- 1.8kg fillet of beef, in one piece
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
- 50g butter
- 5 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
- 240g shiitake mushrooms
- 1 x 28g pack flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
- a sprinkle plain flour, for rolling
- 750g all-butter puff pastry
- 1 beaten egg, for glazing
Step by step
Get ahead
Assemble the beef en croûte up to the end of step 7 (without glazing with beaten egg) up to a day ahead, cover loosely with clingfilm and chill. Remove from the fridge 2 hours ahead of cooking and glaze with beaten egg before baking (no need to chill for a further 30 minutes). You could also bake it in advance and serve it cold.
- Preheat the oven to 230°C, fan 210°C, gas 8. Pat the fillet dry with kitchen paper. Remove any fine sinew or fat from the beef. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the oil into a large flameproof roasting tray large enough to hold the fillet. Set over a high heat on the hob. Once hot, add the meat and brown on all sides – this should take about 5 minutes. Then roast in the oven for 20 minutes for rare meat, 30 minutes for medium, or 45 minutes for well-done beef.
- Remove the fillet from the oven (leave the oven on to bake the pastry) and transfer to a rack over a cold roasting tray and leave to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and fry for 5 minutes or until soft and golden. Discard the shiitake stalks, finely chop their caps and add to the softened shallots. Fry briskly for 5 minutes or until they have collapsed and any liquid has evaporated. Season to taste and, once cool, mix in the parsley.
- Take 250g of the pastry and roll it into a rectangle that is a little larger than the length and width of the beef fillet. Place on a lightly oiled large baking sheet. Prick all over with a fork and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden (you can turn the oven off now). Transfer to a clean baking sheet and leave to cool completely.
- Once the beef and pastry are cold, spoon the cooked mushrooms along the length of the pastry. Top with the beef.
- On a floured work surface, roll out 500g pastry into a large rectangle, large enough to easily cover the beef fillet and be tucked in under the cooked pastry. Gently lift the pastry and let it loosely cover the beef. Cut off the corners and any excess pastry, and save the trimmings.
- Brush the underside of one length of the pastry with beaten egg and, using a palette knife, tuck it neatly under the cooked pastry. Repeat the process with the remaining three sides. Liberally brush the uncooked pastry with the remaining beaten egg. Cut the trimmings into stars and decorate the parcel.
- Brush the pastry again with beaten egg and chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 230°C, fan 210°C, gas 8. Bake the beef en croûte for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Rest the meat for 20-30 minutes before serving.
