Ingredients
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5kg/3lb 5oz beef fillet
3 tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, finely chopped
450g/1lb mushrooms, finely chopped
½ tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
200ml/7fl oz red wine
English mustard, for spreading
500g/1lb 2oz ready-made puff pastry
plain flour, for dusting
1 free-range egg, beaten, to seal the pastry
melted butter, to glaze
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/360F/Gas 4.
2. Rub salt and freshly ground black pepper all over the fillet, then brush with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Heat a frying pan until smoking and sear the meat on all sides, or until browned all over. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots for 3-4 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Stir in the thyme, fresh parsley and pour in the wine, then boil over a high heat for 5-6 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside to cool.
4. Brush an even layer of mustard onto the seared beef.
5. On a floured work surface, roll the pastry out until it is a little wider than the beef, and the beef can be completely rolled in pastry.
6. Spread the mushroom mixture over the pastry, leaving a border of 3cm/1¼in all around, so that when you roll up the beef it will be encased in the mushrooms, and you can seal the edges together. Sit the beef on the long side of the pastry and roll up leaving an overlap of 3cm/1¼in. Brush this edge with a little beaten egg and press the edges together to seal.
7. Place the beef roll on a sheet of buttered baking parchment, then place onto a baking sheet. Brush the top of the roll with the melted butter, then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden-brown.
8. To serve, cut into thick slices.
